Dark Lady Amon
by amiwakawaiidesu
Summary: Amon finds his mind inhabiting Robin's body and must find out why. Post Factory setting.
1. Where is my body?

Dark Lady Amon  
by amiwakawaiidesu

(Based on characters and situations from "Witch Hunter Robin", created by Hajime Yatate and Shuko Murase)

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CHAPTER ONE

Amon was dreaming.

_Amon had entered a subterranean parking garage, where he was hoping to meet with a contact who could give him information related to his latest mission; but instead of the contact, three figures all in black came out of the shadows to confront him. The one in the middle was short – perhaps a woman – while the flanking figures were taller and presumably men. It was impossible to guess their sex from their voices however, for when they spoke, they spoke telepathically._

"_**Amon,"** they thought as one, "**so good of you to come. We've been expecting you."**_

"_I wasn't aware I was so obvious," Amon replied, "but if you want to talk, that's fine. I want to know…"_

"_**Amon,"** they replied, "**we're not concerned about your mission. Your cares in this world are behind you now."**_

_The figures moved apart to surround Amon, and he drew his Glock 18 pistol in response._

"_**You're not going to stop us with that,"** they replied; "**you must use your craft."**_

"_I'm not a witch, though," Amon replied, knowing the ensorcelled slugs in the fully-automatic pistol could drop all three of these witches with a single squeeze of the trigger._

"**_Of course you're a witch. But why haggle over definitions? 'Craft-user', if you prefer. The craft is alive within you; you merely resist it."_**

_Amon was angry then, though he didn't show it; he knew what became of his mother after her craft awakened, the madness and the killing. He would not become like her._

_Then the witches were attacking, and Amon was startled that he could neither respond nor get out of the way in time; his reflexes were very good, but still he was caught by three attacks at once – fire, ice, and a wall of force converging from three directions – and he fell at once with his ribs cracked and his exposed skin both scorched and frozen._

_Then the entire world was fire – fire that drove the witches back, but somehow left Amon untouched._

"_Robin – !" Amon said, wincing with the effort, "stay back! I can handle this!"_

_Amon was already losing consciousness, though, so he was in no condition to resist Robin's assistance; emerging from her hiding place, Robin attempted to press her attack, but the witches were too strong and deflected her power. All she could do was drive them back long enough to let her tend to Amon._

"_Amon, are you all right? Can you move…?"_

_Amon moaned._

"_No, you're too badly hurt; you shouldn't have tried to do this on your own…"_

_Robin then tried to drag Amon toward the nearest exit, but he was too heavy, and now the witches were returning._

"_Hold on," Robin said, touching Amon's head, "I'm going to try something…"_

_Then, suddenly, Amon saw the world seem to fill with light, and he felt as if he were being lifted out of his own body; an angel was lifting him toward Heaven now, and accordingly all his cares fell away as he left his physical body far below._

_Then darkness fell, and oblivion._

X O X O X

When Amon woke up, he felt very much as if he were hung over; his head was throbbing, and even the slightest effort to move was met with a wave of nausea. It wasn't like Amon to drink to excess, though, so he wondered – as he lay atop his bed, staring at the gray ceiling, and sunlight shining though the angled three-paneled window high overhead – if this had something to do with the mission he'd been sent on by Solomon HQ in Europe.

_Wait a minute, _Amon thought;_ I don't have awindow like that in my apartment. What is this place…?_

With a considerable effort, Amon turned his head and saw his bed was surrounded by steel bars, and elevated on a platform on one side of a large and mostly empty room. Then it came to him: this was the top floor room of Nagira's law office, where Robin was staying again after the collapse of the Factory.

_What the hell? What am I doing **here**…?_

Amon pushed those thoughts aside, though, as he tried to remember what had happened before he got there. The events of the previous evening were a blur – more like a dream than a memory he could trust – but his memories of the last month were otherwise still intact. A month ago, the Factory had collapsed and Amon had been separated from Robin, both of whom were then presumed dead by Japanese authorities.

Amon was very much alive, though, and he checked in with Father Juliano of Solomon HQ to determine if there was any unfinished business they needed to attend to before Amon left Solomon for good; with Robin missing, Amon had no interest in returning to either Raven's Flat or the STN-E, but he did accept one last mission from Father Juliano. Being officially 'dead', Amon was especially well-placed to investigate reports of witches being employed by the powerful Shinjozuna Corporation headquartered in Tokyo. The STN-J was too weak now to take on such a powerful adversary, and the Japanese government wasn't willing to antagonize a corporation with important political ties, and thousands of employees working in industries ranging from publishing to industrial machine manufacturing, but Amon – working unofficially, and officially dead – wouldn't cause complications if his mission were discovered by Shinjozuna's corporate security.

It was a tall order, working a case like that without support, but Amon accepted the mission mainly because it would let him remain in Japan a while longer and also look for Robin. What he never imagined was how easy it would be to find her; concerned that Solomon HQ might still be hunting her, Robin had gone to Nagira for help after escaping the Factory, and it was while visiting Nagira that Amon was reunited with Robin. A tense moment followed – for Amon had been sent to hunt Robin before – but Amon assured her that she was no longer being hunted by Solomon HQ.

"_I'm so glad," _Robin had said._ "Amon, why don't we go back to Raven's Flat now, together?"_

"_I'm afraid I can't,"_ Amon had replied. _"I have one last mission to complete for headquarters, and I can't afford to let the STN-J know I'm alive."_

"_Why don't you let me help you, then? I'm dead too, officially."_

"_I'm afraid I can't do that," _Amon had replied._ "It's too dangerous, and I can't let you get involved."_

"_Well, maybe I'll just tell Chief Kosaka you're alive, then."_

"_You wouldn't…"_ Amon had said, _"…would you?"_

Robin had frowned, then surprised Amon by embracing him.

"_Amon," _she had said,_ "you can't be my watchdog if you're dead. Let me help you."_

"_All right,"_ Amon said, reluctantly. _"But you have to stay in the background on this one. I need to pursue my leads on my own, and I can't have you seen with me. Otherwise, someone might remember that we used to be partners and leap to the conclusion that this is an official STN-J operation – and that would ruin everything."_

"_Right. You can count on me."_

In fact, Amon was soon grateful for Robin's help; a few weeks later, Amon had been at the Yokohama docks looking into connections between Shinjozuna and yakuza who were helping the company sneak Chinese witches into Japan, and a gang of yakuza thugs had cornered him in an alley when he seemed to be getting a little too nosy. But then Robin appeared and scattered the lot of them without actually hurting anyone.

Then more recently, Amon finally found a contact inside the Shinjozuna Corporation who was willing to talk about witches, and it was that person Amon had been trying to meet in the parking garage the previous evening. Then he was surprised by the witches, but he couldn't remember exactly what had happened after that; if he had been hammered by three witches at once, though – like in the dream – it wouldn't be surprising if his short-term memory was scrambled up good…

_But where is Robin now? And how did I get out of the garage…?_

With an effort, Amon pushed himself into a sitting position on the bed, indulged an urge to vomit…

(_Nagira will love that_, Amon thought)

…and then felt much better. There was something odd about his hands, though, as he lifted one to wipe his mouth and then looked at both of them curiously; the fingers seemed very long and slender, not at all like the hands he remembered. Nor were his bare feet, which were likewise narrow and slender, nor the unfamiliar-looking shoes by his bed, nor his coat, which was more reddish than the black he remembered. In his woozy state, though, Amon deferred thinking about these peculiarities as he staggered to the ladder leading down to the main floor (a ladder that seemed extremely large all of a sudden), hoping to find a medicine cabinet with some aspirin near the toilet, sink and bathtub.

After reaching the cold concrete of the main floor, Amon then noticed something swishing around his legs and wondered vaguely why he was wearing a dress. He didn't fully regain his faculties, however, until he reached the mirror and saw Robin's face staring back at him.

Not one to panic, Amon nevertheless reacted with shock at a face both familiar and unfamiliar. Those were definitely Robin's green eyes, and her light brown hair gathered up in ribbons resembling handlebars at the sides of her head. Upon closer inspection, though, her green eyes looked haggard and worn, and the ribbons holding the handlebars looked as if they were close to unraveling.

"Robin," Amon said, "is that you?"

The voice he heard was neither his own nor Robin's, but Robin's mouth moved in the mirror as he spoke, and the voice was definitely female; idly – even as he stared entranced at Robin's features – he guessed that he must be hearing Robin's voice as it sounded inside her own head, since a person's voice always sounds different to herself than it would to others.

"All right, don't panic," Amon said aloud, turning on the faucet and splashing his face with water. "There must be a logical explanation for this…"

Then, suddenly, Amon was aware of something urgent calling for his attention: a need to urinate.

Without thinking, Amon moved toward the toilet and reached for the fly of his trousers only to realize it wasn't there. For a desperate moment, Amon felt around for some way to get into the dress without actually damaging it, then finally gave up and lifted the whole bottom of the dress up around his waist in order to sit on the toilet and do his business.

Afterward, while continuing to sit on the toilet, staring at Robin's long slender hands and feet, he began to realize just how much of a disaster this was. Somehow, he had lost his body – that was a given; but if he was inside Robin's body, where was Robin's mind? Was her mind inside someone else's body now, or could it be that her spirit was simply dead…?

And how was this even possible? Amon knew that Robin was powerful, but she'd never shown any signs of being able to work her craft in any form other than fire. So was this the work of the Shinjozuna witches, for reasons Amon could only guess? Now that he thought about it, the witches in his dreamlike memory seemed to know who he was, so perhaps the contact he was supposed to meet was actually a trap laid to lure Robin and himself into the garage. Or was it possible that Robin was much more powerful than even Amon had imagined? As the Eve of Witches and embodiment of the Arcanum of the Craft, was it possible that Robin had learned how to work forms of the craft other than fire?

Amon's gaze then fixed upon an unlit candle on a table on the far side of the room.

_Perhaps,_ Amon thought, _Robin's mind is still inside this body, but hidden somehow, or sleeping..._

Amon then attempted to project Robin's fire craft at the candle, supposing that might prove that Robin's spirit was still within this body. Instead of lighting the candle, however, Amon caused a breeze that knocked the unlit candle off the table and onto the floor.

"Goddamn it!" Amon muttered; there was a craft at his disposal all right, but it was his own craft, not Robin's. For years, Amon had suppressed his own wind craft – willing himself to remain a seed rather than letting his craft awaken. But now – if he was going to get to the bottom of this mystery – he might have no choice but to use the craft he'd inherited from his mother.

_Please let this be a dream!_ Amon thought, rising from the toilet at last and fighting a second wave of nausea as he stumbled to the sink, less graceful in the long convent dress than someone used to wearing it all her life. There he turned on the faucet, scooped up a double-handful of water and splashed his face with it, but still it was Robin who looked back at him afterward, dripping water from her face and hair.

Exasperated, Amon blew at the one long strand of hair that always seemed to hang in front of Robin's eyes, then decided what to do next.

No matter how much his brother might laugh at him, he was going to have to talk to Nagira.


	2. A stressful period

Dark Lady Amon

by amiwakawaiidesu

(Based on characters and situations from "Witch Hunter Robin", created by Hajime Yatate and Shuko Murase)

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CHAPTER TWO

Before emerging from Robin's room at Nagira's law office building, Amon checked Robin's appearance in the mirror and noticed that her hair ribbons were very close to unraveling; when Amon tried to fix the ribbons, though, he just unraveled them more and finally gave up trying to fix the 'handlebars' altogether, letting Robin's hair fall loose around her shoulders.

_Stupid ribbons,_ Amon thought, giving Robin's face one last look in the mirror before turning for the door. _I like this look more anyway._

Disturbed though Amon was by his current predicament – trapped inside Robin's body, with his own body nowhere in sight – he immediately regretted being critical of Robin's hairstyle; it was just his frustration at work, for he was a man accustomed to being in total control of himself and his actions. Now, though, he was the steward of another person's identity and the responsibility rankled him – although he knew if the situation were reversed, Robin would be careful and considerate with his body.

"Forgive me, Robin," Amon said, looking into the mirror again. "I promise you, I'll get to the bottom of this."

Amon then reached for the door handle at last, and descended the stairs to the level of the main law office, hearing the heels of Robin's shoes echo in the stairwell. Hana-san, Nagira's secretary, also heard the sound of Robin's shoes approaching, and looked up with poorly-concealed disgust when Robin entered the office area.

"Um…Hana-san," Amon said, "is Nagira available?"

"I'll have you know Nagira-san is meeting with a client right now," Hana replied. "And what's with your hair?"

"Look, I really have to see Nagira; it's very important."

"What, did you miss your period or something?"

Amon thought about for a moment, then realized it had never occurred to him that Hana might assume there was a relationship between Robin and Nagira. But now that he thought about it, Robin and Nagira had spent a lot of time together, and Amon knew his brother was very fond of young girls…

"Look," Amon said, trying not to lose his patience, "I just want to speak to Nagira, all right?"

"Don't you raise your voice with me, young lady! I've had quite enough of Nagira and you sneaking off at all hours of the day and night and doing God-knows-what! I work very hard to keep this office in some kind of order and I don't need some teenage tart coming in here and demanding things on top of everything else I have to put up with – !"

Just then, the door of Nagira's office opened and Nagira himself looked out at the office area.

"Is something the matter here?" Nagira asked.

"Nagira!" Amon said. "I need to talk to you!"

Hana adopted an exasperated expression, while Nagira's legal secretary Hirata just avoided eye contact with everyone in the office, as usual.

"It sounds important," Nagira said. "Can it wait?"

Amon shifted his weight on Robin's feet, suggesting it couldn't wait.

"All right," Nagira said. "Just give me a minute, okay?"

Nagira then withdrew into his office, and remained there for several minutes until the door opened again and Nagira escorted a Chinese man out of the office. Nagira spoke of looking into the man's case and the man seemed pleased, but Amon could only guess what they'd been speaking of earlier behind the closed door.

"Robin," Nagira then said, "won't you come in?"

Again, Hana gave Nagira a sour look but Amon ignored that as he walked through Nagira's door and then accepted Nagira's invitation to sit in a chair near his desk before Nagira closed the door behind him.

"So," Nagira said, as he rounded his desk and dropped into his own chair, "what can I do for you, Robin?"

"Nagira..." Amon said, "how well would you say you know Amon?"

"Well, we did live in the same home for a few months when we were younger," Nagira said. "Why do you ask?"

"There's something I need to tell you, and you might not believe me. But I need to impress upon you that I'm absolutely serious...

"Nagira, I'm Amon."

Nagira – who was just opening a pack of cigarettes – appeared amused.

"You don't say," Nagira said, lighting a cigarette and taking a long drag on it. "I always remember Amon being a bit taller."

"Nagira, I'm completely serious. I'm sure you think this is some kind of joke – and I don't know how it happened exactly – but I'm definitely not Robin. I don't know if she's still alive or not – or if she's still in this body – but I know I'm not Robin."

"Okay. So if you're Amon, where's _your _body?"

"I don't know," Amon replied. "I don't know if Robin told you, but after the collapse of the Factory, I started working one last case for Solomon Headquarters in Europe, investigating the Shinjozuna Corporation, and Robin was helping me. Last night, I arranged to meet a contact at the Shinjozuna parking garage who claimed to have inside information about witches who were working for the company, but instead I was ambushed by three very powerful witches and they clobbered me good. I'm a little fuzzy on what exactly happened after that, but I think Robin drove the witches back with her craft, then I passed out…

"And now I'm here, and I don't know where my body is, or where Robin's mind is."

"So," Nagira said, "even though you look like Robin, you actually have Amon's mind inside you, with all his thoughts and memories?"

"That's right. I remember almost everything about my life…except how I got here last night."

"Well, if you really are Amon, I wonder if you remember that prank you pulled on me when we were kids and we were living together."

"That prank...? Oh, you mean that time I left the thousand-yen coin in the toilet bowl and you got blue dye all over your hand when you went to fish it out?"

"Yeah, that's the one. And what did I do for revenge?"

"You wrote _'baka'_ on my forehead while I was sleeping," Amon replied, "and painted all over my face with lipstick.Yeah, that was very funny, when I went outside without you telling me first."

Nagira laughed.

"Well, you did have it coming," Nagira said, with a slight smile.

"Perhaps," Amon said.

Amon paused a long moment, then added:

"I don't know where else to go for help, Nagira. I can't go to headquarters because they wouldn't believe I'm really Amon, and I can't go to the STN-J or I might blow the whole Shinjozuna investigation. You're all I've got, Nagira..."

"Easy there," Nagira said. "I didn't say I wouldn't help you. This is just a little peculiar, that's all. It's not every day you find out your little brother is actually a teenage girl."

"At least you're taking it well."

"Well, working with witches, you see a lot of strange stuff. This is certainly near the top of my 'weird shit' list, though..."

Nagira turned his chair toward the window, then took a long drag on his cigarette and slowly exhaled the smoke.

"Just before you came here, a few weeks ago," Nagira said, "there was a witch Robin made friends with – an old Chinese lady named Mrs. Wong who came here for help with an immigration matter. The two of them seemed to get along real well, and I even heard Wong thanking Robin once for some help she gave her. Did Robin ever mention that to you?"

"No," Amon said. "Robin didn't talk much about her life here."

"Well, maybe Robin was afraid you'd hunt Mrs. Wong, just like you hunted her. But you're not a hunter any more, are you, Amon?"

"No, this mission is strictly intelligence-gathering."

"Well, all right, I'm going to trust you then. Mrs. Wong has a knickknack shop a few blocks from here – selling New Age stuff, crystals and amulets and such – but I understand she also knows a lot about the local witches, and she's very respected among her people. I wouldn't be surprised if she knew something about this matter – or at least would know how to point you in the right direction to get some answers."

"Mrs. Wong...right. I'll go check it out."

"Wait just a minute," Nagira said, as Amon started to stand up. "Why don't you wait until I'm done with work this afternoon, then I'll go with you. I don't know if you've looked in a mirror, but you look pretty frazzled. Why don't you go back upstairs and rest for a while. And maybe take a bath, too; that would make you feel better."

"Nagira," Amon said, "I have no intention of taking Robin's clothes off until we found out what happened to her mind. I feel bad enough about this situation as it is; I'm a 26-year old man, for God's sake, and Robin's just 16 years old."

"Well, just don't grope yourself inappropriately," Nagira said, while glancing at his watch.

"In the meantime, I better get back to work or Hana will kill me. Just take it easy, and I'll come up to check on you in a few hours."

X O X O X

As Amon headed back upstairs, he was aware of a vague uneasiness in his stomach for the first time, but he supposed it was probably just something Robin had eaten the night before. As he recalled, they'd both had a late night snack at a ramen stand before going over to the Shinjozuna building, and there was no telling how fresh the ingredients might be at a place like that.

So Amon resisted an urge to get something from Nagira's refrigerator, and instead went back upstairs to Robin's room, where he tried to figure out the trick of tying up Robin's hair properly, but eventually gave up in frustration. He then climbed back up to Robin's bed, kicked off Robin's shoes and laid down on the bed, still wearing Robin's convent dress.

More tired than he realized, Amon then dropped off to sleep almost instantly, only to be startled a moment later by an unexpected voice:

"_Amon, is that you?"_

_Amon woke with surprise as he heard Robin calling to him, but he quickly realized he was still dreaming; he was surrounded by a silvery fog now, and felt very disoriented. He seemed to have his old body back, though, which was a relief. Robin wasn't weak – for a girl her age – but her body seemed very small and fragile compared to the body Amon was used to, and he was always afraid he would damage it if he wasn't careful._

_Then he saw Robin, standing amongst the fog in her red coat and convent dress, with her light brown hair done up properly in its twin handlebars, and he was relieved when his own voice came out of his mouth when he spoke to her._

"_Robin!" Amon said. "Where have you been?"_

"_I'm sorry, Amon," Robin said, "I didn't expect this would happen. Has it been difficult, living inside my body?"_

"_Well, no, it's all right..._

"_But never mind that. How did this happen? How did I get inside your body?"_

"_It was a spell I learned recently," Robin replied, "from Mrs. Wong, a client of Nagira's. She asked me to help her score some crystal balls with my fire craft, and in exchange she taught me the spell of Soulkeeping. I never thought I would need it, but then when those witches came to take you away, I couldn't let them do that; I took your spirit inside myself and ran, so they could have your body but they couldn't have your mind…_

"_I didn't realize how hard it would be to use the spell on another person, though; with Mrs. Wong, I only practiced on small animals, and I was able to remain conscious with their spirit inside me. But after I took your spirit inside me, it took all the strength I had just to get back to Nagira's office before I collapsed. So this is the only way I can speak to you now, in your dreams."_

"_Will you be able to recover?"_

"_I think so, but I don't know how long it will take. It may be days, or even weeks, before I'm strong enough to control my body again. But I'm glad you have control of my body in the meantime, and I hope you can use my body to find out what the Shinjozuna witches did with your body. If your body is still intact, then I'll be able to return your spirit to its proper home after I regain my strength and become conscious again."_

"_I'm just glad you're not dead," Amon replied. "I was very worried about you."_

"_You're very kind, Amon. You've always protected me, so I am glad to shelter you inside me now..._

"_I don't mind if you look at me, by the way," Robin added, seeming to sense that concern Amon had raised earlier with Nagira; "I know you're a gentleman, and would never use my body for sordid purposes."_

"_Robin," Amon said, "Nagira and I plan to go to visit Mrs. Wong later today. Is there anything else we should know before we go there...some way to let her know she can trust us?"_

"_Mrs. Wong is very perceptive; you shouldn't have any trouble..."_

_Robin then smiled slightly – a rare expression coming from the normally reserved young woman._

"_This might not be the best time to plan any strenuous activity, though," Robin said. "You might be a little preoccupied the next few days..."_

_Robin then began to fade away into the fog, until only her enigmatic smile remained._

"_Wait a moment," Amon said; "what do you mean...?_

"_Robin! What do you mean...?"_

X O X O X

A moment later, Amon woke up sweating, and feeling as if his insides were tied up in knots. He had never felt a stomachache like this before, with such cramping and aching, and he was only barely aware of the sound of knocking coming from the door below his bed.

"Robin...er...Amon...are you all right?"

Receiving no answer, Nagira opened the door and then went inside, where he observed Amon (in Robin's body) writhing in agony on Robin's bed.

"Amon, are you all right?"

"I...don't think so..." Amon said, finally rolling off the bed. "My stomach is killing me...!"

"Is it something you ate? I know that bread in my refrigerator might be a little funky…"

Amon just groaned, curled up in a ball next to the steel bars surrounding the bed.

"Um...wait here," Nagira said, ducking out of the room. Then a few seconds later he reappeared with his secretary Hana, who looked very miffed to be distracted from her work yet again.

"Hana, you're a woman," Nagira said. "Could this be some kind of female problem?"

Hana lifted an eyebrow.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Hana asked, giving Amon a sour look. "Honestly, she acts like she never had a period before."

"Is _that_ what this is?" Nagira asked.

"Well, isn't it? She asked me to get some things for her because she expected it would start any day now. Those don't look like ordinary cramps, though; maybe you should get a doctor."

"Good idea. Oh, but Hana, I wonder if I could ask you a favor...?"

Again, Hana lifted an eyebrow.

"Robin hasn't been herself lately," Nagira continued, "so I wonder if you wouldn't mind staying with her. And if she is just having a period, and needs help with any of those...ah...female products…maybe you could help show her how to use those..."

Hana responded by stamping her foot on the ground, crossing her arms and shooting Nagira a look of ultimate frustration.

"Mr. Nagira, I have had _quite_ enough of your nonsense! It's one thing when I have to tell clients you're unavailable when you're off at a pachinko parlor or gallivanting with your underage girlfriend, but this time you have gone _too_ far! I quit!"

Hana then spun on her heels and turned toward the door, but Nagira grabbed her before she could leave.

"Hana, please! Here…"

Nagira fished in his trousers for his wallet and pulled out 50,000 yen.

"…on top of your pay for the day. And go ahead and bill the whole day as overtime, on me."

Although Hana was still fuming, the 50,000 yen did go a long way toward making her overlook what a jerk her boss was.

"All right," Hana said, taking the cash, "but just this once! Now go call a doctor."

"_Domo arigatou,"_ Nagira said, bowing profusely to Hana as he backed out of the door. Hana then slammed the door behind him and turned to Amon.

"Is he serious?" Hana asked Amon. "You have amnesia or something?"

"Something like that," Amon groaned. "Jesus, how do you women put up with this...?"

"Yeah, I ask myself that all the time," Hana said. "Just hold tight and I'll be right back."

Amon grunted in response as Hana left, then rolled over as he tried to find a position that was somewhat less agonizing. Then, when the cramping subsided slightly, it occurred to him that Robin must have gone through this every month, and yet she never showed any sign of distress over it.

_I guess we men **are** sissies,_ Amon thought. _It's probably a good thing we leave this to the stronger sex…_


	3. Ti amo

Dark Lady Amon

by amiwakawaiidesu

(Based on characters and situations from "Witch Hunter Robin", created by Hajime Yatate and Shuko Murase

Note: I'd like to thank everyone who has responded to this story, which is encouraging, and especially thank young wiccan for the idea about Robin's hair (which I used in this chapter).)

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CHAPTER THREE

Although Amon had hoped to visit Mrs. Wong's shop that afternoon, he quickly realized he wasn't going anywhere that day, and Hana suggested he might not be going anywhere the next day either. Amon did feel a bit better after Hana gave him some pills for his cramping and aching, but he remained bedridden inside Robin's body all the remainder of that day and most of the next day just as Hana predicted.

Fortunately, Amon wasn't suffering from anything worse than an especially bad period, which was confirmed by the doctor Nagira brought in to look at Amon. The brother of a client Nagira had helped with a legal matter, the doctor asked Amon a lot of questions Amon didn't know the answer to (such as which illnesses Robin had had in the past, and what sort of medications she might have taken recently) then felt around Robin's abdomen for a bit and examined her with a stethoscope before pronouncing that she was probably fine.

"But just to be on the safe side," the doctor said to Nagira, "you should take her to the local clinic if she's not feeling better soon."

"Thank you, Doctor," Nagira said, as he escorted the doctor out of Amon's room. "Oh, and about your fee…?"

"Oh, don't worry about it. I'm just glad you were able to help my sister out with her landlord problem."

"You're very generous," Nagira said, before lowering his voice to a whisper and slipping the doctor 5,000 yen. _"We might need your help again, though, so here's a little something for cab fare."_

Although Nagira wanted to give the doctor more cash, that was actually all the cash he had on him since he'd given the rest to Hana – who fully felt she deserved a 50,000 yen bonus for putting up with Nagira and his amnesiac teenage girlfriend. To Hana's credit, though, she did make a good nurse for Amon and was surprisingly patient. For example, Hana was only mildly startled when she helped Amon take off Robin's convent dress (which wasn't really appropriate for bed) and discovered that Robin didn't have any nightclothes to speak of.

"Do you just sleep naked?" Hana asked.

"Apparently…" Amon said, trying to hide his surprise.

"Well, that won't do. I'll go get you something from my overnight bag."

Since Hana was sometimes obliged to travel with Nagira on business – and that business could pop up unexpectedly – she kept a bag at the office packed with several changes of clothes and a pink nightgown that fit Robin's body surprisingly well.

"Oh, you look cute in that!" Hana said. "See, you don't have to look like a goth _all _the time."

"But I like black," Amon said. "I think it suits me."

Hana just sighed and shook her head.

"Teenagers."

In fact, Amon was grateful for the nightgown because he wasn't quite ready to be naked in Robin's body just yet. He was surprised to realize, for example, that Robin's legs were covered with short stubbly hair as if she had shaved it recently and it was just now growing back; but why would Robin – who had grown up in a convent – bother to shave her legs in the first place? Amon never saw Robin wear anything that exposed her legs, but what if Robin had a secret life that Amon didn't know anything about at all...?

Amon set that question aside for the moment, though, as Hana went on to show him how to use the feminine hygiene products Robin had thoughtfully ordered earlier. Naturally, this was an arcane area of knowledge for Amon and he had many questions, but Hana (perhaps motivated by Nagira's money) patiently answered all those questions. Then afterward, as Amon finally felt well enough to try sleeping, Hana surprised him by setting up a folding chair next to Robin's bed.

"You know," Amon said, "I think I'm feeling better now, Hana-san. You don't have to stay here if you don't want to."

"If it's all the same," Hana replied, "I think I'd rather stay. I don't want Nagira to say he didn't get his money's worth."

"Well, okay...if you don't mind..."

Hana then endeavored to keep herself busy with a crossword puzzle, though Amon doubted it could be very comfortable sitting in a folding chair for long. Amon himself drifted into a light sleep for a few hours, then noticed Hana still sitting there when he woke up and made a suggestion.

"You know," Amon said, "there's plenty of room in the bed here. Why don't you come join me and lie down for a bit?"

"Are you sure you don't mind?"

"No, I'm sure I'll be fine."

Amon then moved over to make room for Hana, and the hard-working secretary was soon fast asleep beside him.

Amon, for his part, made sure to keep his hands to himself thereafter, although he wasn't the sort of man to take advantage of a sleeping woman anyway, even when he wasn't feeling sick and achy. Still, Nagira couldn't help but lift an eyebrow when he came in later to check on Amon before going home.

"I see you got Hana to go to bed with you," Nagira noted. "Even I haven't managed that yet…"

"Yes," Amon said weakly, "I'm a regular stud, Nagira."

"Well, anyway, I'll just be up in my office if you need anything. Good night, little brother."

"Good night, big brother. And thank you…for everything."

Nagira just shrugged – as if losing 55,000 yen in cash was something that happened to him every day - then turned off the light and left his secretary and his brother to their rest.

X O X O X

Although Amon slept deeply that night, Robin didn't come to him as she had the night before – or at least if she had, he didn't remember it when he woke up. That happened at the crack of dawn when the alarm on Hana's watch started beeping, and Hana apologized for the fact that she'd have to leave to get the law office ready for business.

"That's all right," Amon said. "I think I'll be fine. You've helped a lot."

Amon then rested some more, until by the early afternoon he was well enough to prop himself up in bed and read the newspaper Hana had left behind. Then, later in the afternoon, Hana and Nagira brought Amon some soup (cooperating between the two of them to lift it up to the level of Robin's bed without spilling it), and Amon couldn't help but smile as he saw the two of them working together – something which Nagira was quick to notice.

"What's so funny?" Nagira asked.

"Oh, it's nothing," Amon said, as he started devouring the soup.

"It must be something. Come on, you can tell me."

"Well, I was just thinking," Amon said, "when I saw you and Hana-san working together just now, you sort of reminded me of a married couple."

Nagira lifted an eyebrow at that and turned to Hana, who crossed her arms and looked exasperated.

"Well, I certainly _hope_ I'm never his wife!" Hana said. "Working here is bad enough!"

Hana then left to return to work, leaving Amon alone with Nagira for the moment.

"Nagira," Amon said, "do you think I could borrow one of your laptops for a while? I feel kind of useless cooped up here, and I'd like to do some research on the Shinjozuna Corporation if I can."

"Sure," Nagira said, returning to his office to grab a new laptop with a wireless modem, which he then handed up to Amon from the lower level of the room. Then, as Nagira looked up at Robin's thin young form in Hana's nightgown, bending down to take the laptop from him, he offered an opinion.

"You know, I think that nightgown would look a little better if it was a little shorter, like maybe just off the hip…"

"Nagira, let's not get creepy here. I am your brother, remember?"

"Oh, right. Sorry."

X O X O X

After searching the Internet – and Solomon's secret case files – for several hours, Amon was frustrated by his inability to find anything definite connecting Shinjozuna to witchcraft; there were many rumors connecting the company to Chinese witches, but nothing concrete. After a while, Amon almost came to feel as if the company name – composed of a kanji meaning 'new' and three characters meaning 'skillful' – was mocking him on every page where he saw it.

_If I could just talk to Michael,_ Amon thought; _I'm sure he could find what I'm looking for…_

That was out of the question, though, because Michael would surely be able to trace any call that Amon made, whether from a land line or any kind of cellular phone. And Amon couldn't risk that if he wanted to keep the STN-J out of his investigation of Shinjozuna.

Amon therefore gave up searching toward the late afternoon and turned to a less agreeable task: perfecting the craft skills he had deliberately neglected throughout his life. In fact, Amon hadn't entirely neglected his craft; for example, Amon's noted ability to survive leaps from great heights was directly related to his wind craft. Amon had never attempted to gain fine control over his craft before, though, so he now made a conscious effort to do so, causing a wisp of air to flip a page of the newspaper Hana had left on her chair, then causing another wisp of air to float a single page from the newspaper over to his bed.

_So I'm a witch now_, Amon thought, as he first caught the piece of paper in his hand, then crumpled it into a ball.

_Well, so be it, if this is what it takes to get to the bottom of this..._

Amon then continued his practice with other items small enough to manipulate easily from Robin's bed where he lay, but ended his practice when he heard the door open and Hana entered with a plastic cupful of instant ramen which she handed up to Amon through the bars around Robin's bed.

"Thank you, Hana-san," Amon said.

"So, how are you feeling?" Hana asked. "You look better, but I told Nagira I'd stay here again tonight if you need me..."

"Thank you," Amon said, "but I think I'll be fine. Thanks to you."

Hana nodded and then withdrew, leaving Amon to his ramen. Although Amon was still suffering from his period, he devoured the ramen just as hungrily as he'd devoured the soup earlier in the day; then, before he even realized it, a deep sleep overtook him and Robin stood before him again at last.

X O X O X

"_Amon, I'm so glad to see you again."_

_Tired though he was from his craft practice, Amon realized at once that he was dreaming, recognizing the same silver fog he remembered the last time he'd been dreaming. He also recognized Robin, once again in her red coat and convent dress, and realized that he was now back in his own body, if only in his imagination._

"_Robin," Amon said, "I was hoping to see you again. I have some questions."_

"_What would you like to know?" Robin asked._

"_Well, for one thing, why didn't you warn me about your period? That clobbered me pretty good – even worse than those witches did."_

_Robin smiled very slightly._

"_I'm sorry," she said. "I just thought I'd make it worse if I told you about it before it happened. And I wasn't sure if you could really prepare for it anyway, because it's probably not like anything you've experienced before as a man."_

"_You can say that again. Are they **always** that bad?"_

"_They're never pleasant," Robin replied, "but I suppose I've had more time to get used to them. Did Hana-san help you?"_

"_Yes, but Nagira had to pay her a small fortune first."_

_Again Robin seemed amused._

"_I'll have to repay him for that."_

"_Don't worry about it," Amon said; "I'll pay him back later myself. But in the meantime, there is another question I want to ask you about; if we can't find my body – or if something has happened to it – how long will I be able to survive inside your body?"_

"_I don't know," Robin replied, drawing closer to Amon. "A few weeks perhaps, or maybe longer."_

"_And then...?"_

"_Well, if your spirit can't be returned to its home, then you will die. But I'm sure we'll be able to find your body eventually."_

_Now it was Amon's turn to smile, moved as he was by Robin's optimism._

"_I've been trying to research the Shinjozuna Corporation," Amon said, "but all I can find are vague rumors on the computer. It looks like I'll have to visit your friend Mrs. Wong after all, if I want to make any progress on this case."_

"_I'm sure she'll help you," Robin said. "She seems like a nice lady."_

_Amon nodded, then frowned slightly as another question returned to his mind._

"_Robin, I know this is none of my business – and I don't mean to pry into your personal affairs – but..."_

"_What is it?"_

"_Well, why **do** you shave your legs exactly?"_

_Robin appeared surprised and a little chagrined._

"_Oh, that," Robin said, glancing down at the long_ _dress covering her legs. "I thought it might_ _be more practical once I started working as a courier for Nagira. A friend of mine who raced bicycles in Italy said she always shaved her legs because her cuts and scrapes would heal faster if there wasn't hair on her legs; plus she didn't want to scare people with her hairy legs while she was wearing her bike shorts."_

"_Oh, I see..._

"_But it's been months since you worked as a courier, so why do you still shave your legs now?"_

_Robin shrugged and made a sheepish expression._

"_I don't know," Robin said. "Maybe it's just because at the convent people always told me what to do – when to get up, when to work, when to pray. But here I'm free...really free...for the first time in my life. Maybe I just shave my legs because I can – because there's no one to tell me not to."_

"_Well, that's a relief."_

"_Why is that a relief?"_

"_Well, I was just wondering...you know, the way Hana acts like your Nagira's girlfriend..."_

_Amon appeared flustered for a moment, then spelled it out:_

"_I was just wondering if there was anything going on between you and Nagira. God knows I'd kill my brother if he laid a finger on you, but you have spent a lot of time together, and he did lay out a lot of his own money to look after you. Not that it's any of my business, I suppose, but I do have to live inside this body of yours, and it would be nice to know what you've been up to..."_

_Amon then stopped, supposing he was only digging a deeper hole for himself as he went on. To his surprise, though, Robin didn't appear upset by what he had said, but just amused._

"_Amon," Robin said, drawing close enough to place a gloved hand on his chest, "I can assure you there's nothing going on between Nagira and myself. And I can also assure you I'm a virgin, as I plan to remain until my wedding night."_

"_I'm sorry," Amon said. "I shouldn't have said those things."_

"_That's all right," Robin said. "You and I are very close now – as close as two human beings can be. There should be no secrets between us."_

_Robin then moved closer still, close enough to embrace Amon, and even without words it was clear enough how Robin felt about him._

"_You're a good friend, Robin," Amon said, returning her embrace. "I hope you find a good man to marry you someday."_

_Robin shuddered slightly, and when Amon tried to see what was the matter, he saw Robin trying to wipe away a tear with the back of her hand._

"_Are you all right?" Amon asked._

"_Yes, I'm fine," Robin said, remaining close to Amon as she wiped her eyes. Then, trying to sound calm, she added: "Is there anything else you need to know before I have to leave again...?"_

"_Actually," Amon said, cradling Robin's head with his hand, and running his fingers over the ribbon binding one of her handlebars, "I **was** wondering about these. For the life of me, I can't figure out how you get these to stay like this."_

_Robin laughed despite herself._

"_Oh, I can show you that," she said. "Here, it's really simple..."_

_Robin then stepped back from Amon, and reached up to the two ribbons binding her hair. She then unwrapped the ribbons and removed the hairpins holding the masses of hair in place, letting them fall loose about her shoulders. She then gathered up one of the masses – the one on the left side of her head – and reversed the process, going slowly to show Amon how to secure the hair and wrap it so it would stay in place._

"_Here now, you do the other one," Robin said, handing Amon the other hairpin and ribbon, then turning around so she was facing away from him._

"_I only ask..." Amon said, tentatively gathering up Robin's hair and trying to remember what she showed him, "...because people are used to seeing you like this..."_

_For a brief moment, Amon was unsure if he could do this; he'd never had a sister or a girlfriend who wanted help with her hair, and he felt almost as lost doing this as he'd felt trying to follow what Hana told him earlier about managing his period. But Amon wasn't one to give up easily; although he fumbled his first attempt, he reminded himself that this was no more complicated than learning to tie one's shoelaces, or learning to tie a necktie, and he then forced himself to concentrate until he had the hair neatly wrapped and secured, matching its twin handlebar on the other side of Robin's head._

"_I think I did it," Amon then said, surprised by his own accomplishment as he stepped back to study the nicely-balanced handlebars._

"_So how do I look?" Robin asked, turning back around to face Amon._

"_You look very nice," Amon said. "Very beautiful."_

"_Why, **grazie, signore**," Robin said, grasping the sides of her dress to lift them up slightly as she offered him a courteous bow._

"_So you have to go now?" Amon asked._

"_I'm afraid I must," Robin said, taking a step backward as the fog began to envelop them both again. "But get your rest, and we'll speak again soon..."_

_Amon then watched as Robin slowly disappeared from view, until only her face was visible. But just then, before she vanished altogether, he thought he saw her lips forming three simple syllables in the Italian they both knew so well..._

_**Ti amo.**_

_I love you._


	4. Answers and questions

Dark Lady Amon

by amiwakawaiidesu

(Based on characters and situations from "Witch Hunter Robin", created by Hajime Yatate and Shuko Murase)

CHAPTER FOUR

When Amon woke up the next morning, Robin's silently spoken words remained clear and vivid in his mind.

_Ti amo..._

_I love you._

It had not occurred to Amon previously that Robin felt that way; consumed as he'd been with his hatred of witches, and the struggle to keep his craft dormant inside himself, Amon had seen in Robin what he feared he might become himself: not just a craft-user, but a craft-user with power so fearful it would be a danger to himself and everyone around him.

But something had changed in Amon after he accepted his craft; there was no sundering of reason, or descent into madness. Lying there in Robin's bed, occupying Robin's body, Amon couldn't say he felt _normal _exactly, but he certainly wasn't mad - not the way his mother had become before the hunters came to gun her down. Finally, after so many years of struggling against himself, Amon felt peace and clarity. Of course Robin loved him. She always had; he was just too blind to see it.

"Forgive me," Amon said, sitting up in bed and speaking to the spirit of Robin now asleep inside himself. "I will make amends to you, I promise."

Amon then noticed - to his immense relief - that the persistent pain of his period was finally subsiding; also, according to Robin's clock, it was just 6 am - well before the time Hana would arrive to open the office downstairs - so Amon decided to do what he'd been avoiding for three days now, and take a bath.

Since Robin had given Amon express permission to see her naked body, Amon hesitated just a moment after filling the bathtub before pulling off Hana's nightgown and stepping into the hot water. Amon then sank down in the water - letting the warmth envelop him - and very nearly fell asleep before he heard the sound of a door opening downstairs. He then heard footsteps climbing the stairs outside Robin's room and instinctively ducked down in the water (after all, he didn't want to give Nagira a free peep show); it wasn't Nagira, however, but rather Hana who knocked on the door.

"Robin-san, are you decent?"

"Um...I'm just taking a bath," Amon said, "but you can come in, Hana-san."

Hana cracked the door open and poked her head inside.

"I'm sorry," Hana said, "I didn't mean to be rude. I was just curious how you're feeling."

"I'm feeling much better, thank you."

"Would you care for some breakfast before I open the office?"

"Actually, I was thinking I might come down and get myself something to eat. It's nice to stay in bed, but I don't want to get too used to it."

"It's too bad your_ boyfriend _doesn't have that attitude," Hana muttered, frowning as she thought about Nagira.

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing. I'm glad you're feeling better, but just let me know if you need anything."

Amon thanked Hana, who then returned downstairs, and Amon then felt motivated to get on with the day and at least make a token effort at working on the Shinjozuna case. After stepping out of the tub, Amon dried and brushed out Robin's long brown hair, slipped on one of Robin's long convent dresses, then finally attempted to tie up Robin's hair the way Robin had shown him the night before. To his surprise, it wasn't hard at all; standing before Robin's mirror, he gathered up Robin's hair into two equal masses on opposite sides of her head, fixed the hair in place with pins and then wrapped ribbons around the masses, leaving two nicely balanced handlebars framing the face looking back at him in the mirror.

"_Siete bei," _Amon said in Italian, touching the face in the mirror with Robin's own delicate fingers. "You _are_ beautiful."

Another knock then came at the door, this time followed by Nagira's voice.

"Are you decent?"

"Yes, Nagira; you may come in."

Amon turned to face Nagira as he entered, and Nagira was startled to see Robin's form looking neat and tidy – not so much the bedraggled version recently occupied by Amon.

"Is that still you, Amon?"

"Yes, it's still me."

"Well, I guess you must be getting over your...ah..."

"Period?"

"Yes, that. Which is good, because actually you have a visitor."

"I do?"

"Yes; do you remember that lady Mrs. Wong I was telling you about? Well, she's actually downstairs right now."

"Did she come by just to see me…er…Robin?"

"Actually, she was just passing by the building when I mentioned Robin wasn't feeling well recently. I know you wanted to talk to her anyway, though, so it's kind of lucky she happened by."

"Yes, quite. Where is she now?"

"She's in my office. I don't have any clients for another half-hour yet, so you can speak in there privately if you like."

"Thank you," Amon said, starting toward the door. On the way to the door, though, he could almost feel Nagira's eyes upon him, staring at Robin's body.

"Is something the matter?" Amon asked.

"I was just wondering," Nagira said, forcing himself to lift his gaze, "what _does_ she look like naked?"

"You'll have to ask her that yourself," Amon said, as he opened the door. "That probably wouldn't be the smartest thing to ask a girl who could incinerate you, though."

"True," Nagira said, following behind Amon as he headed downstairs.

X O X O X

Since Robin had already met Mrs. Wong, but Amon had not, Amon knew it might be tricky trying to bluff Mrs. Wong into believing he was still Robin. As Amon entered Nagira's office, though, he resolved to keep the secret of his true identity at least until he knew whether Wong could be trusted.

Mrs. Wong was a small woman – so small that Amon almost mistook her for a child when he saw her sitting in a chair next to Nagira's desk – and indeed her round cherubic face was full of life, belying the age apparent in her cane, white hair and wrinkles.

"Robin-san," Mrs. Wong said, "it's so nice to see you again. Nagira was just telling me you were feeling under the weather."

"Yes," Amon said, moving to sit in a chair opposite Wong's, "but I'm feeling better now, thank you."

"It's your monthly friend, isn't it?"

"Um…"

"You know," Wong said with a smile, dropping her voice to a whisper, "menstrual blood from a virgin witch is very valuable, if you have any you'd like to sell…"

"Er, no…" Amon said uncomfortably, "I think I'd rather not."

"Oh well; you can always tell me if you change your mind later. In the meantime, perhaps I could offer you some of this ginger tea…"

Wong reached into her bag and handed Amon a small box with Chinese characters.

"I'm sure it will help whatever ails you."

"Thank you," Amon said, accepting the box and reaching for Robin's coin purse; "how much do I owe you…?"

"Oh, you don't owe me anything. I'm very grateful for the help you gave me with those crystal balls earlier, so I'm still in _your_ debt."

"But there was the spell you taught me, of course."

"Oh, yes. Probably not immediately useful, though."

Wong's comment brought Amon to a problem: why had Wong taught Robin the spell of Lifekeeping in the first place? Amon certainly had cause to be grateful, but Wong was correct in pointing out that Robin couldn't expect the spell to be immediately useful. Surely there were other incantations Wong could have taught Robin with more immediate usefulness.

"Well," Amon said, "you never know when something like that might come in handy, though."

"Indeed. Speaking of which, did you ever meet up with that young man you were telling me about? The tall, dark fellow who used to work with you?"

"Why, no," Amon said, "I haven't seen him. Why do you ask?"

"You just seemed very concerned about him, after you were separated. I assumed that was the reason you wanted to know the spell of Lifekeeping, because you thought your friend might be in some kind of danger."

Amon couldn't help but smile. Robin's intuition had served her well, since danger was quick to find Amon after he accepted his last assignment from Headquarters.

"Well, I'm sure he's fine," Amon said. "I was wondering, though – as long as you're here – could I ask you about something rather obscure? I understand you know a lot about witches – even things the hunters don't know."

"Of course, Robin-san. You know you can ask me anything."

"I'm curious about a rumor I've heard, that the Shinjozuna Corporation is smuggling witches from China into Japan. Do you know if that's true?"

"That is an obscure question. Why do you care about something like that?"

"Just personal curiosity. When I used to work for Solomon, we heard rumors about that, but nobody could prove anything. I just figured someone like you – someone who knows everything there is to know about local witches – might know more about Shinjozuna than the Solomon Network does."

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I don't know anything more about Shinjozuna's secrets than you do. I've heard my share of rumors, though. Some people say that Shinjozuna was actually formed by a trio of witches who were driven out of Shanghai back in the 19th century. Perhaps you've read about that yourself; STN-China – which was run by the colonial powers at the time – cornered a coven of witches led by three elemental craft-masters and burned down their headquarters. None of the craft-masters were taken alive, though, and the STN-C never did get a good description of what the craft-masters looked like. The one witch they captured alive said his masters looked like living shadows without any distinguishing features, aside from the fact that one was very short and the other two were very tall; he couldn't even be sure if they were male or female."

"I see," Amon said, noting the uncanny similarity to the very witches he and Robin had encountered earlier. "Actually, I didn't see any report like that in the Solomon database."

"Well, the modern STN-C is very secretive; perhaps they've hidden the report outside the main database. Or perhaps it was just a rumor, after all, and Solomon deleted the record because it couldn't be substantiated."

Amon found the former more likely than the latter; Solomon's archives were generally very thorough, but the contributions of individual branches (such as STN-China and STN-Russia especially) were occasionally censored for political reasons, or to conceal the results of hunts that went awry.

"Has anyone in Japan seen that trio of master witches?" Amon asked.

"Not that I know of; but of course they would be dead by now anyway, wouldn't they?"

"Yes, I would imagine…

"So," Amon continued, "hypothetically, if someone wanted to get inside the Shinjozuna main office, do you have any idea how they might go about that?"

Mrs. Wong laughed.

"I'm afraid breaking-and-entering isn't my area of expertise," Wong said. "And besides, I thought you only had an idle curiosity about this subject."

"Actually, it's more than idle curiosity. There are some loose-ends related to a case I was working on before I left Solomon that I'd like to clear up, and ideally I'd like to clear them up without getting Solomon HQ or the STN-J involved."

Wong gave Amon a searching look, and Amon (who assumed Wong was a craft user) wondered if Wong could actually tell he wasn't being entirely truthful.

"It's very dangerous getting mixed up with Shinjozuna," Wong said finally. "Even if they don't have their own private army of witches, they've got plenty of ordinary security, and friends in every corner of the world. There's nowhere you can go they wouldn't hunt you down."

"I wasn't planning on blowing a hole in the wall and waltzing on in. I was hoping for something a little more subtle."

Wong thought about that for a long moment, then smiled.

"Well, there is the publishing division of Shinjozuna," Wong said. "If memory serves, the office of _Happy Look_ magazine is located right inside the main office, and they're having an open model search in a couple of weeks. Maybe you could get inside the building that way; you are a girl, after all, and a very pretty girl at that."

Amon reacted to that suggestion with a cringing shudder that must have been all-too obvious to Wong. Amon was only now getting used to the idea of occupying Robin's body, and he wasn't at all sure he could move around naturally in public without attracting attention – let alone trying to stand out amongst a group of beautiful young girls looking for modeling contracts. Nor was he sure he'd want to use Robin's body in a way she'd probably disapprove of; Robin had lived in a convent most of her life and didn't appear to have the slightest interest in clothes or makeup, or the materialistic way of life that drove a modern nation like Japan.

But there was also a practical problem with Wong's idea: Amon couldn't be certain his spirit would survive another two weeks inside Robin's body, so waiting for the model search was not a practical idea.

"I'm not sure I can afford to wait two weeks," Amon said.

"I see. Well, if your time is limited, why not arrange a meeting with someone who works for Shinjozuna Publications?"

"Could you arrange that?"

"Well, as it happens, I do know a young man who works as a photographer for _Happy Look_ – a regular customer at my shop, you might say. He got a big break after I sold him a lucky amulet, and now he's always asking me for ways he could repay the favor…

"So why don't you give him a call? If you tell him Mrs. Wong sent you, I'm sure he'd be willing to meet with you at least."

Amon thought about that for a long moment before responding. There were a lot of things Amon knew how to do well – like hunting witches, for example, and conducting covert investigations. Nothing in his entire life, however, had ever prepared him to pretend to be a teenage girl interested in modeling. Just contemplating the prospect made him feel ill (though not quite as ill as he'd been feeling the last three days).

"Sure," Amon said, forcing a smile.

Wong then opened her purse and rummaged around for a bit, but neither in her purse nor in her pockets could she find the number she was looking for.

"I'm sorry," Wong said sheepishly, after a moment, "I must have left the number at my shop. But I can go get it for you if you'd like…"

Wong then started to stand up, and Amon quickly moved to help the old woman up.

"Actually, I was planning on going out later anyway," Amon said. "Why don't I just drop by your shop later and I could get the number from you then."

"All right," Wong said; "that will give me more time to hunt around."

Amon then escorted Wong out of Nagira's office and down the steps to the front door, where Mrs. Wong was kind enough to offer Amon a business card with her address on it (since Robin had only been to her shop once before). Amon then thanked Mrs. Wong and saw her out the door before turning to Nagira, who had followed Amon and Wong down from the office area.

"So," Nagira said to Amon, "did you have a productive conversation?"

"Yes," Amon said. "Apparently, Robin might have a modeling career in her future."

Nagira lifted an eyebrow in surprise.

"What's the matter?" Amon asked. "Don't you think I'm pretty?"

Nagira started to answer, but then thought better of it.

"It's probably best if we don't go there," Nagira said.

"Yes," Amon admitted, "probably best."

X O X O X

Amon spent the remainder of the morning and afternoon refining his control of his craft; standing in the alley behind Nagira's law office, he learned how to summon the wind to lift him into the air, and eventually managed to fly all the way to the roof of Nagira's building; he also learned how to use his craft as a weapon, channeling the wind into a point of force strong enough to dent the side of a steel garbage dumpster.

Thus armed with his craft, Amon finally decided to take his first trip into the city in Robin's body later that afternoon, and – now wearing Robin's red coat over her black convent dress – he went up to Nagira's office to let him know where he was going.

"You going anywhere in particular?" Nagira asked.

"Yes," Amon replied, "I thought I'd pay Mrs. Wong a visit, and get the number of that photographer."

"Do you want me to go with you? I was going to head on home myself anyway in an hour or so."

"No, I think I'll be fine. And I have Robin's key, so I can let myself back into your building through the back door."

"Well, take this along at least," Nagira said, handing Amon an extra cell phone he had in his desk. "You never know what might happen, what with all the strange people in the city."

"Yeah," Amon said, "thanks. I'll be back shortly."

In fact, Amon's main concern as he slipped out the back door of the office building was being spotted by the STN-J sensor network, which was naturally extensive throughout the Tokyo area. Amon knew the blind areas of the network quite well though, so he felt reasonably confident that he could avoid detection by creeping down back alleyways, just as Robin must have done when she went to visit Mrs. Wong earlier.

Located on a side street, Mrs. Wong's curio shop was much as Amon had imagined it would be, a tiny building filled with all manner of magical talismans and trinkets, and the redolent with the aroma of scented candles and incense.

"Oh, Robin-san," Mrs. Wong said, looking up from behind her cash register, "there you are! I thought you might have forgotten about me."

"No, I just had some other errands to attend to."

"Understandable. Well, anyway, I found Mr. Setaguchi's number…"

Mrs. Wong ambled out from behind her counter to meet Amon, and passed her another business card, this one purple, and embossed in gold print with the name, phone number and email address of professional photographer Ken Setaguchi.

"Thank you," Amon said, pocketing the card. "You're very kind to help me so much."

Amon then looked around the store for something he could buy and settled on a Shinto good-luck charm decorated with a four-leaf clover, which he paid Mrs. Wong 200 yen more than the 300 yen she was asking for it.

"Keep the change, ma'am," Amon said, as he headed for the door; "if your tip pans out, I might be a regular customer."

After ducking out of Mrs. Wong's shop, Amon then started back toward Nagira's law office, but paused as he remembered an envelope containing 100,000 yen he'd left in his apartment (before being ambushed in the Shinjozuna garage); the money had been given to Amon by Solomon HQ for the purpose of paying off informants and such, but he now perceived he might need the money for other purposes. He might need to buy Robin some new clothes, for example, and he also owed Nagira 50,000 yen for bribing Hana into looking after him during his period.

Fortunately, Amon had chosen to live in an area outside the STN-J sensor network, but he still took no chances as he approached his destination, using his craft to leap from rooftop to rooftop until he finally reached the roof of an office building opposite the three-story building containing his apartment. There Amon paused to survey the street below, looking for any evidence of people who might be staking out the building, but he wasn't surprised that he saw no such evidence; Amon hadn't been carrying any documents with his actual address on them when he'd been ambushed – and of course his spiritless body couldn't have volunteered any information either – so it was unlikely that Shinjozuna knew where he'd been living.

When Amon was finally ready to move, he descended to the side of the office building, ran briskly across the street (feeling just a bit silly as he held up Robin's dress to keep from tripping over it), then moved around to the back of the apartment building and scaled a fire escape that brought him close to the back window of his apartment. He then jimmied the lock on the window and entered the apartment, where he soon discovered that he hadn't been the first person inside the apartment since the ambush.

Whoever had entered earlier was careful, but not careful enough to avoid leaving telltale signs of entry to Amon's experienced eye. Amon had left a tiny origami figure in the carpet underneath the window, and the fact that it was now crushed (as well as fine scratches on the window handle) suggested that someone else had entered the apartment through the window before him. After a careful search, though, Amon confirmed that the earlier intruder was no longer there; the intruder apparently was content to jimmy the lock on the desk in Amon's bedroom and search his personal papers, then left without apparently removing anything from the apartment. That included not only the envelope with the 100,000 yen which Amon found still sitting in a drawer of the desk, but also a loaded .357 magnum revolver that Amon kept as a backup for his now-missing Glock 18.

_They obviously weren't burglars,_ Amon thought, dropping the money and a spare apartment key into one of Robin's coat pockets, and dropping the pistol into the other; _so they must have come here looking for more information about me, or who might have my spirit now…_

_But how could they have known where I live? I wasn't carrying anything with my current address on it…_

It was then that Amon remembered the dream he'd had immediately after being ambushed at the Shinjozuna parking garage, in which the witches told him they were not only expecting him, but also insisted that he would be unable to defeat them without his craft. Of course Amon couldn't be certain what, if anything, about the dream reflected actual events, but it seemed increasingly likely that Shinjozuna had been watching Amon long before he had begun watching them. Presumably, if the dream was accurate at all, Shinjozuna wanted Amon specifically _because_ of his long-neglected craft, and they might well have gained what they'd been seeking if Robin hadn't taken his spirit into herself and denied the corporate witches their prize.

_I've been completely blind! _Amon thought. _This entire investigation was probably conjured just to bring me into the clutches of Shinjozuna…!_

Although it was hard to imagine that Shinjozuna's reach could extend even into the headquarters of Solomon itself, it was a singular fact that the Solomon database contained almost no useful information about Shinjozuna's long-standing association with Chinese witches, although Amon himself had seen widespread evidence of that association. Further, Shinjozuna's influence extended into every corner of the world, so it wasn't inconceivable that they might even count members of Solomon HQ's administration among their allies.

For a moment, Amon felt a flush of anger toward Father Juliano, but Juliano himself probably didn't realize he was being manipulated. Indeed, Amon had little direct evidence to support his theory, other than the keen intuition that had saved his life so many times before as a hunter. And now that intuition led Amon to a fearful conclusion. If Shinjozuna had researched Amon's background before luring him into their trap, then they probably knew a great deal about his friends and allies. Most of those allies were currently out of reach; Amon obviously knew the current whereabouts of the most important ally – Robin herself – and his former girlfriend Touko was currently well-secured inside a private mental hospital where she was recovering from her recent traumatic stress. As for Karasuma, Doujima, Sakaki, Michael and Chief Kosaka, they were likewise fairly safe because the STN-J had severed formal ties with Solomon HQ before the Factory incident, and the Japan branch was now operating independently. But there were two allies of Amon in Tokyo who were under no such protection: Master Harry and Nagira.

Since the phone in his apartment was almost certainly bugged, Amon slipped out the front door of the apartment (which he locked behind him) and down to the alley next to the apartment building before calling Harry. Naturally, Harry was pleasantly surprised to hear Robin's voice, but Amon didn't stay on the line for long.

"Master," Amon said, "I can't stay on the line for long, but listen…

"How is the weather on the Vistula?"

"It's colder than the Danube," Harry replied, recognizing the code phrase he'd learned decades before when he himself had been a hunter like Amon.

"But warmer than the Dnepr," Amon said.

"I see," Harry said. "Well, take care, Miss Robin."

"And you too, Master," Amon said, hanging up the phone.

Naturally, the secret of Harry's past was one known to few of his customers, just as the secret of his craft ability was known to few of his customers. Amon knew that Harry could take care of himself, though, especially after he had a heads-up like this.

More problematical, though, was Nagira, who had no formal training in espionage or covert operations. Amon (when he was still occupying his own body) hadn't advertised the fact that he was Nagira's brother, so it wasn't necessarily a widely-known fact. But with Shinjozuna's resources, it was only a matter of time before they figured out that Nagira might be the best person to question about the current whereabouts of Amon's spirit.

_And of course he has to be on the phone, _Amon thought, when he tried to call his brother. _Damn it!_

Since Nagira might be in immediate danger, Amon couldn't afford to waste any more time trying to call his brother; instead, Amon summoned the wind to carry him to the roof of the nearest building, then continued using the craft to leap from rooftop to rooftop – sometimes leaping over boulevards full of oblivious drivers and pedestrians – to return to Nagira's law office as quickly as possible.

When Amon arrived at the building across the street from the law office, though, he saw Hana and Hirata walking away from the front door, and no light on in Nagira's office window.

_He must be walking home, then…_

Although Nagira didn't know it, Amon knew where Nagira lived (having gleaned that knowledge earlier from a secret file that the STN-J kept on 'people of interest'), and used that knowledge now to skip along the rooftops between the law office and Nagira's modest apartment building, looking for any glimpse of Nagira.

_Perhaps,_ Amon thought, _Nagira is already home…_

But Nagira hadn't quite made it home; a few blocks from the law office, well out of sight of any main road, Amon saw his brother lying bruised and battered atop a pile of garbage bags in an alleyway between a pair of warehouses. Setting aside his customary concern for Robin's body, Amon dropped like a stone to the alleyway – not using the craft to brake his descent until the last second – then ran to Nagira's side and checked for a pulse at his neck.

"Nagira," Amon said, "are you all right…?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Nagira said, cracking open an eye and spitting some blood from the corner of his mouth. "It was just some punk who jumped me; said he wanted to know about Robin…"

"I'll call an ambulance," Amon said, starting for his phone. Before Amon could dial, though, a huge male figure appeared at the end of the alleyway.

"Little miss," the man said with a Chinese accent, "it was so kind of you to drop by. Might you be Robin Sena?"

"And what if I am?" Amon asked, turning to face the man.

"Some friends of mine would like to talk to you," the man said, drawing closer.

"Fine. But this man needs an ambulance first."

"He'll live. Don't worry about him."

"_Amon,"_ Nagira then whispered, _"get out of here...!"_

Nagira had seen the man moving to grab Amon, but Amon's instinct for danger served him again; before the man could grab him, Amon somersaulted backward out of arm's reach. Then, summoning what craft power he still had left, he aimed an air-hammer punch right at the center of the strange man's chest.

The Chinese man wasn't even fazed, though, probably because of the necklace he was wearing, which Amon only now noticed.

_Shit!_ Amon thought. _Orbo!_

Before Amon even had time to wonder where the goon had gotten orbo from, though, the strange man gestured with his hands and sent a wave of power crashing into Amon, lifting him bodily off the street and sending him smashing into the brick wall at the back of the alleyway.

Since Robin's body wasn't as strong as Amon's, the impact shook up Amon more than he thought it would; indeed, it was all he could do to remain conscious as the witch drew closer again, then lifted him off the ground by the red lapels of Robin's coat.

"Enough playing," the witch said, drawing back a hand and making a fist; "lights out for you, bitch."

Thinking quickly, Amon considered his options; if Shinjozuna sent this witch – and Shinjozuna indeed had its tentacles deep inside Solomon – then this witch had to know that Robin was one of the most powerful craft users who had ever lived (making orbo – wherever they got it from – a wise precaution). But Robin wasn't known for being much of a brawler; if the goon didn't expect it, a palm-heel strike to the goon's nose might stun him long enough to let Amon get away and call the police.

But when Amon tried to move Robin's right hand to make the attack, he found he couldn't move at all; he was completely paralyzed!

Then the witch was throwing his punch, but it only came within ten centimeters of Amon's face before a wall of fire caught the punch and stopped it cold. Startled, the witch dropped Amon – who crumpled to the base of the wall – then Amon felt a second intelligence taking control of his body…Robin herself!

"For hurting my Amon," Robin said, climbing to her feet with fire in her eyes, _"there is no forgiveness!"_

Just a spectator now within Robin's body, Amon almost felt pity for the Chinese witch as he braced for what was coming, but even orbo couldn't stop Robin's craft when she let it fly at maximum power. The witch – and everything flammable within a two-meter radius – exploded in flames, then vanished as if it had never existed.

_Robin,_ Amon thought, _is that you?_

"_I'm sorry,"_ Robin thought back, "_I shouldn't have pressed my power like that. I was just so worried about you…"_

Amon then felt Robin's consciousness fading away, and realized she must have returned to her sleeping condition inside him. Then the paralysis was gone, and Amon again had control of Robin's body.

Perhaps Robin had been on the verge of returning to consciousness anyway, but Amon knew that the outpouring of power probably drained whatever energy she needed to remain conscious, and it would probably be a long time before she could awaken again. Just as at the Shinjozuna garage, Amon realized, Robin had given everything she had to save him – even to the point of leaving herself helpless and incapable of defending herself afterward.

"I'm sorry I wasn't more careful," Amon said to Robin, rubbing a bump on the back of his head; "I'll try to take it easier in the future…

"Oh, and _grazie, il mio amore_."

_Thank you, my love. _

Amon then hurried to Nagira's side, and helped his brother to his feet.

"Was that Robin just now…?" Nagira asked.

"Yes," Amon said, "but I think she's gone back to sleep again…

"Don't worry about that, though; we need to get you to someplace safe – if you think you can walk."

"Yeah, I'm fine," Nagira said, "I've had worse. Maybe we should go back to the office…"

"No, Shinjozuna will know about your office. I think I might know a better place to lie low for a while, though."

Supporting Nagira, Amon then invited him to head for the mouth of the alleyway.

"So where are we going?" Nagira asked.

"I'll let you know when we get there," Amon replied.

Nagira lifted an eyebrow, but avoided commenting until they were finally out on the street next to the alleyway.

"Well, I know one thing for sure," Nagira said.

"What's that?"

"Hana's never going to believe _this_ excuse for closing the office."


	5. The Third Spirit

Dark Lady Amon  
by amiwakawaiidesu 

(Based on characters and situations from "Witch Hunter Robin", created by Hajime Yatate and Shuko Murase)

CHAPTER FIVE

As Amon helped Nagira out of the alleyway, he explained to Nagira that the tentacles of Shinjozuna appeared to reach even into Solomon itself, so they couldn't look to either Solomon HQ or Raven's Flat for assistance. Amon reassured Nagira that he had plan, however, as they emerged from the alleyway and Amon waved to a passing cab. Amon frankly expected to have trouble waving down a cab - since he himself had never had much luck hailing cabs in this seedy part of Tokyo - but the very first cab Amon hailed pulled right over. As Amon helped Nagira into the back of the cab, though, he noticed the male cabbie giving Robin's body an obvious once-over and realized that was probably why the cabbie pulled over; a cute girl like Robin was much more likely to attract a cabbie than a dark and vaguely ominous man like Amon when he was back in his own body.

"Where can I take you?" the cabbie asked.

"Roppongi, _onegaishimasu_," Amon replied, while cradling Nagira's bruised and rumpled form. Nagira didn't have too long to get comfortable, though, because Amon asked the cabbie to pull over near Roppongi Station, then got out and hailed another cab heading in the opposite direction. The second cabbie gave Amon the same curious look as the first cabbie, but this time Amon asked to be taken westward toward Setagaya in the outskirts of Tokyo.

"_So_," Nagira whispered in English, after Amon helped him into the back seat, "_think we're being followed?_"

_"Don't worry," _Amon replied; _"we'll be safe enough soon." _

_"I don't know if 'safe' is the word I'd use; did you see the way our cabbie was looking at you?" _

_"Don't worry about it. He probably just thinks we're a working girl with her john."_

Nagira assumed Amon was kidding, but it wouldn't necessarily hurt if the driver leapt to that conclusion; as Nagira well knew from his adventures in the seamy underworld of Tokyo, cabbies tended to favor prostitutes as customers because they were unusually polite and seldom skipped out without paying.

As for Amon, he was tempted to give the cabbie a generous tip to forget he ever picked them up, but tipping was not a custom in Japan and the cabbie would be sure to remember a _gaijin_ girl who gave him a generous tip. Therefore, after the taxi pulled to a stop on Setagaya-dori Avenue per Amon's request, Amon duly paid the cabbie the 2,000 yen he owed for the trip and not a yen more. Amon then helped Nagira out of the cab and said nothing further until the taxi pulled away and disappeared into the night.

"So this is the place, huh?" Nagira asked, looking around at yet another seedy-looking neighborhood of warehouses and inexpensive apartment buildings.

"It shouldn't be far," Amon replied; "do you think you can walk?"

"Sure...if there's a bottle of saké where we're going..."

"You never know," Amon replied vaguely. Nagira's hopes for a stiff drink fell rapidly, however, when Amon led him around a corner and toward the rectory of a modest Catholic church.

"A church?" Nagira said.

"A friend of Master Harry's is here," Amon replied, "and perhaps Master Harry himself."

"But a Catholic church...isn't Solomon associated with the Catholic church?"

"Yes, but there are factions within the church, and I think we can trust the pastor of this particular church."

Nagira was skeptical, but Amon continued toward the rectory until he was close enough to knock on the door. A short male _gaijin_ with a swarthy complexion and a neatly trimmed beard, wearing the Roman collar of a Catholic priest, then opened the door and appeared surprised to see a strange Italian nun (Amon) standing before him.

"Father Padilla," Amon said, "I'm not sure if you know me, but I'm a friend of Master Harry's..."

"And I'm also a friend of Harry's," Nagira added.

Father Padilla continued to look puzzled, but then Master Harry himself came to the door.

"Miss Robin," Harry said, "and Master Nagira; what are you doing here?"

"Actually," Amon replied, "I'm not really Robin. Or perhaps I should say, not _entirely _Robin..."

Harry looked at Amon curiously for a moment, then nodded with understanding.

"I see. You're Amon - and Robin - combined into one person."

Amon nodded, but Nagira was still puzzled.

"Wait a minute," Nagira said to Amon. "He can tell that just by looking at you?"

"It's his craft," Amon explained. "He can read auras. He used to use that as a hunter when he worked for the STN-E."

"Master Harry was a _hunter_?" Nagira exclaimed.

"That was a long time ago," Harry said, turning to Amon, "but I still know a lot of Solomon's secrets, so I'm glad you gave me the heads-up about Solomon being compromised. When you gave me the warning over the phone, I wasn't sure if I should believe you since Robin is too young to know the top-secret codes that an older agent would. But now it makes sense, and it also makes sense why you would come here for sanctuary, since Amon would know that Father Padilla and I are old friends."

Father Padilla, meanwhile, appeared almost as nonplussed as Nagira.

"Is this really Amon?" Padilla asked Harry.

"I'm sure of it," Harry replied, "but perhaps it would be better if we didn't talk out in the open like this. If Amon is right about Solomon being compromised, there's no telling who might be watching us."

X O X O X

After withdrawing into the rectory, Father Padilla introduced Amon (as Robin) and Nagira to his fellow priest Father Yamashita and a young female housekeeper named Sachi, who tended to Nagira's injuries with a well-stocked first aid kit. Then, after Nagira had an opportunity to rest for a few hours, and Yamashita and Sachi retired to bed, Padilla invited Amon, Nagira and Harry to join him for coffee in a private meeting room usually reserved for family counseling.

As Amon explained to Nagira, Father Padilla had joined the STN-E when he was a young priest in his twenties, at first as a liaison officer from the diocese of Barcelona in Spain, then later as a hunter, and finally as an administrator at Solomon Headquarters. Padilla came to view the European practice of killing witches as inhumane, however, which put him at odds with both the Catholic church and Solomon; Padilla's superiors therefore contrived to send Padilla as far away from Europe as possible - to Japan, as it happened - and there Padilla struck up a short-lived friendship with Director Zaizen of the STN-J, hoping to influence Zaizen with his thoughts about non-lethal witch-hunting techniques. Zaizen's sadistic streak soon revealed itself to Padilla, though - who was one of the first to learn that Zaizen was capturing witches in order to produce orbo - and Padilla thereafter gave up all official contact with Solomon in disgust.

Padilla did maintain his friendship with Master Harry, though, since Harry was one of the few European hunters to express concern with lethal hunting methods. As a result, Harry was also encouraged to leave Europe after his service as a hunter was complete, although he found that his ability to read auras (as well as his gift for psychometry) was much in demand in Japan even after he officially retired. In addition to helping the STN-J, Harry also helped _Naicho_ (Japan's premier intelligence agency) to interrogate important individuals, and it was while working on a sensitive international witch hunt that Amon first met both Harry and Padilla.

"So now you know about us," Father Padilla said to Nagira. "But how did Amon's spirit get trapped inside this girl?"

"It's a long story," Amon replied, "but basically, Robin Sena - the owner of this body - used the spell of_ Lifekeeping _to preserve my spirit after I was knocked out by a trio of witches in the Shinjozuna parking garage. Father Juliano had given me a special assignment to investigate Shinjozuna's connection with witchcraft, and Robin joined my investigation because the investigation was strictly unofficial, and both of us were missing and presumed dead after the recent Factory incident. I've come to suspect that Shinjozuna was watching me long before I became involved with this case, though, and I also wonder if Mrs. Wong - the lady who taught Robin the _Lifekeeping _spell - didn't have her own ulterior motives...

"Right at the moment, though, my main objective is to find my own body, so I can stop imposing on Robin's generosity."

"I could help you with that," Harry said. "But I'm curious about something; your spirit and Robin's are very close - as if you were a brother and sister, or a man and wife. Are you two in love?"

Amon thought about that for a moment, then nodded.

"You are?" Nagira exclaimed. "Since when?"

"I only recently became aware of that fact," Amon replied.

"For what it's worth," Harry said, "I've always sensed a connection between you two, although it was never stronger than it is now. And that's good, because it will make your body easier to find. I shall have to ask your indulgence, though, Father Padilla, before I practice my pagan art of psychometry on these consecrated grounds."

"I shall not object," Padilla replied. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Yes, I shall need a large-scale map of Japan, plus any city maps you might happen to have available. And also the assistance of all four of you to help me find Amon's body."

"All _four _of us?" Nagira asked.

"Robin is here as well," Harry said.

"Oh, right."

A few minutes later, Padilla found a large-scale map of Japan which he spread out on the table, then Harry brought forth a small crystal ball and asked Amon, Nagira, and Padilla to place their hands atop his own on top of the orb. Harry then invited his companions to close their eyes and focus on Amon's missing body as he began to chant:

_**"Spirits who know, **_

_**Spirits who see, **_

_**Guide us to Amon's **_

**_Sundered body..."_ **

As if compelled by some strange force, the orb then began to move beneath the hands that were holding it, floating across the map until it came to rest atop Tokyo. Harry - who was sweating profusely by now - then asked Padilla if he had a more detailed map of Tokyo.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like to rest, Master Harry?" Padilla asked, as he brought forth a map of central Tokyo.

"No, I'll be fine," Harry replied, spreading the map out on the table. "It's just been a while since I used my craft like this..."

Harry then directed Amon, Nagira and Padilla to place their hands atop his as before, and chanted again as the crystal ball first lurched crazily back and forth across the map, then came to a stop in a very familiar part of Shinjuku.

"The headquarters of Shinjozuna," Harry announced, looking up at Amon. "The same building where you lost your body."

"Do you know where _exactly_ in the building my body is?"

Harry closed his eyes to concentrate, then nodded.

"Yes, the top floor - and well-guarded..."

"But probably not well-guarded enough," Amon said, reaching for the .357 magnum in Robin's coat pocket, "especially at this hour of night..."

"Amon, wait," Nagira said, grabbing his brother's arm; "let's not rush into this. Maybe a stealthy approach would be better - like talking to that photographer friend of Mrs. Wong's."

Amon scowled - for he doubted he could trust the photographer Ken Setaguchi - but he also had Robin to consider, and the harm that might befall her if he rushed to the attack too hastily. His mind was finally made up for him, though, when Harry suddenly reeled in his seat and then fell over to the floor. Amon, Nagira and Padilla all rushed at once to Harry's side, where Amon was relieved to feel a pulse at Harry's wrist.

"I think I may have pressed my craft too much," Harry said to Amon, weakly. "But listen to Nagira, and don't be rash; there's something more you need to know..."

"What is it?" Amon asked, but Harry fell unconscious before he could respond. Amon felt frustrated, but he knew he could trust Harry implicitly, and knew it would be folly to ignore the advice of the older hunter.

"All right, I'll wait," Amon said softly. "But just you rest now, and try to get your strength back..."

Forgetting himself for the moment, Amon then moved as if to pick up Harry, only to discover that Harry was far too heavy to lift with Robin's muscles. He then turned sheepishly to Padilla.

"Or maybe _you_ could lift Master Harry."

Padilla nodded and lifted Harry's body, then carried him out of the room and down a hallway to a room already set aside for visitors. Amon and Nagira followed, and there they would remain until morning as Harry recovered his strength.

X O X O X

It was already near midnight by the time Amon, Nagira and Father Padilla got Harry into bed, but Amon and Nagira remained up until Harry finally opened his eyes just before dawn. Amon was then tempted to ask Harry what he had started to say earlier, but Nagira suggested that Amon let Harry rest and not strain himself; Amon therefore waited, simply handing Harry a glass of water and seconding Nagira's recommendation that Harry try to rest, then finally succumbed to sleep himself after Harry appeared to be sleeping peacefully.

Although Amon fell asleep on the floor next to Harry's bed, he woke up later in one of two armchairs near the foot of Harry's bed, next to Nagira who was now snoring in the other chair; presumably Nagira or Padilla had lifted Amon off the floor and into the chair. Harry, meanwhile, was sitting up in his bed with a breakfast tray across his lap, sipping coffee, and he raised his coffee cup to Amon when he saw that Amon was awake.

"Master Harry," Amon said, pushing himself upright in his chair; "you're looking better..."

"Yes, thank you," Harry said. "You don't know what a relief it is to see you still here this morning."

"You said it would be rash to go to Shinjozuna too soon. But you also said there was something more I should know."

"There is, but I'm not sure I should tell you in front of Nagira."

"Well," Amon said, glancing at his snoring brother, "Nagira looks like he's pretty out of it."

"That's true," Harry said, "but even so, he may awaken soon. Won't you take a walk with me, then?"

Harry then moved to pick up his tray and set it aside, and Amon moved at once to help Harry up; then (as Nagira continued snoring) Amon followed Harry out the back of the rectory to a small rose garden in the shadow of the adjacent church, watched over by a statue of the Virgin Mary.

"I am curious, Amon," Harry said, sitting on a bench near the statue; "can you feel Robin's presence within you now?"

"Yes," Amon replied, standing beside the bench and resting a hand on Robin's belly. "I can feel her here...where her womb must be, I suppose."

"Indeed, that is where I sense the seat of her spirit."

"Usually I see her in my dreams too, but I didn't see her last night. Do you suppose I was too tired?"

"Perhaps. Or perhaps she is gathering her strength to fully awaken again. That was one reason I didn't want you to go; Robin will be awake again soon, and surely you would rather have her as a conscious ally than an unconscious one."

Amon turned his head to look away, and Harry nodded.

"Or perhaps you would rather _not_ have her as a conscious ally," Harry said. "You believe that you got yourself into this mess, and you don't want to rely on anyone else to get you out of it."

"I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage," Amon said, "being able to read my aura as you can."

"I don't need my craft to know that. You've always been an independent person, Amon - the sort of person who doesn't like to rely on others. You should trust Robin, though; if you love her as you say, you should have faith in her, just as she has faith in you."

"Yes; you're right, of course," Amon said, with a suitably chastened expression. "So, was that what you wanted to tell me?"

"No, there's something more. Come sit beside me if you will."

Amon did so, and Harry turned to face her as best he could on the small bench.

"Amon," Harry said, "have you been intimate with Robin?"

"What...?" Amon asked with surprise. "No."

"Or, have you been intimate with anyone since you entered Robin's body?"

"No, not that I know of...

"What are you driving at?"

"There is something peculiar about your spirits, Amon - those of Robin and yourself. Both of your spirits are very strong within Robin's body, but there seems to be something else within you as well...a third spirit, if you will. It's very faint, but I've seen a spirit like this before in other women; when a woman becomes pregnant, I can sense a second spirit inside her even when the child is only a few weeks old."

"Are you saying Robin is _pregnant_...?" Amon asked. "But no, wait, that's impossible. Robin just had her period; I know, I was there!"

"Indeed."

"Can a woman become pregnant without...?"

"I don't know," Harry admitted. "I've heard rumors of witches conceiving through parthenogenesis - conception without fertilization by a man - and of course Christians regard the Virgin Birth as an article of faith..."

Harry paused, looking at the statue of the Virgin Mary.

"...but I'm no expert in this area. Perhaps what I'm sensing is simply the powerful bond between you and Robin, manifested as a third spirit within you. Your situation is very unique, after all; not only do the two of you share one body, but you're obviously also very much in love. Who knows what to expect from a situation like that?"

Amon looked down toward Robin's belly for a long moment, then lifted Robin's hands to place them there as well. Then, after a long moment, Amon looked up at Harry.

"Well," Amon said, "I'm glad you convinced me not to be rash."

"There will be time enough for rashness soon; until Robin awakens, though, why don't you stay here at the rectory with me?"

"Yes, I think Robin would like that."

Just then a door of the rectory flew open, and a panicked-looking Nagira raced outside.

"Jesus Christ, you two! I thought you had disappeared!"

"No," Amon said, "I think you're stuck with me a while longer yet...unless you'd rather take your chances somewhere else."

"Well, it does make me feel a little uncomfortable being so close to a church," Nagira said, tugging at his collar, "but I suppose it's better than getting beat up again...

"So, Master Harry, I don't suppose there's any liquor in this place, is there?"

"Actually, Father Padilla has a well-stocked liquor cabinet, and he invited me to help myself to anything I'd like."

"Well, why don't we look into that?" Nagira suggested.

"Certainly," Harry said, rising from the bench with Amon's help.

"And you could have some too if you like," Nagira said to Amon.

"Actually, I think I'll pass," Amon said.

Nagira looked at Amon curiously for a moment, then snapped his fingers.

"Ah...because Robin is underage,_ ne_?"

"Yes, that's right," Amon said, glancing at Harry. "She's much too young for that sort of thing."


	6. He who believes

Dark Lady Amon

by amiwakawaiidesu

(Based on characters and situations from "Witch Hunter Robin", created by Hajime Yatate and Shuko Murase)

-------

CHAPTER SIX

Presently, Harry led Nagira to Father Padilla's liquor cabinet, where they found Father Padilla already enjoying his morning sherry. Amon, however - still trapped inside the body of his beloved Robin - refrained from sharing in the wine and spirits. Earlier, Harry had spoken of a third spirit residing within Robin, and one possible explanation for that spirit was a child somehow conceived by the union of the spirits of Robin and Amon in the same body. Amon couldn't be certain at the moment, but if there was any chance that Robin might be pregnant, then it was incumbent upon him to refrain from drinking - or any other activity that might conceivably harm the baby.

"I'll just be over in the church," Amon said.

"Would you like one of us to go with you...?" Harry asked.

"No, I'll be back shortly."

In fact, Amon preferred to go alone because he planned to do something he hadn't done for a long time - pray - and that was a side of himself he didn't want the others to see. Amon didn't plan to pray for himself, however, but rather for Robin; Amon had long ago given up his own Catholic faith, but he still acknowledged the existence of a higher power beyond that of witches and men, and if that power would have compassion for anyone, surely it would be the Eve of Witches, who united the lineage of witches and men in one person.

Amon therefore slipped away from the rectory and entered the adjacent church, which was empty at the moment. Somehow, though - as Amon stood just inside the front doors of the church, looking up at the ornate altar and cross - the emptiness of the building only served to magnify the painful memories Amon had of his own childhood; Amon's mother had been very devout before she awakened as a witch, and her devotion to her faith was sometimes quite terrifying, such as the times when she beat Amon for some transgression or other, and hissed the 'Lord's Prayer' and 'Hail Mary' through clenched teeth along with her paddling.

_Still,_ Amon thought, _this is Robin's faith. I should be tolerant, for her sake..._

As a gesture to Robin, therefore, Amon dipped Robin's fingers in the holy water at the entrance to the church and made the sign of the cross. Amon then began walking toward the altar, but painful memories crowded around him again and he was only able to make it halfway up the nave before a strange feeling of fatigue overcame him; he hadn't thought he felt tired earlier, but he had stayed up half the night watching over Master Harry, so he could only suppose that was catching up with him.

_Or maybe it's the baby making me tired,_ Amon thought, as he stretched out a hand to catch himself on the edge of a pew. _But is that possible? I mean, it can't be more than a tiny embryo..._

Unfortunately, Amon's knowledge of pregnancy was very limited so he decided not to dwell on that too much. Instead, he slipped into the pew he was leaning against, and settled into a kneeling position to pray.

_"I'm sure you know I'm not much for praying,"_ Amon thought, looking up at the figure of the tortured Christ above the altar; _"praying reminds me of welts and bruises, so I don't pray very often... _

_"I don't know what becomes of us after we die; perhaps there is a hell for people like me, or perhaps we just rot in the ground when we die. At least they're efficient about it here in Japan, cremating their dead; maybe that's what will happen to my body, if we aren't able to find it in time..._

_"If I'm going to return to my body, I'm going to need Robin's help. But I'm beginning to wonder if I **should **ask Robin for help; I know how strong those Shinjozuna witches can be, and now there's the baby to think about. I think I'm prepared to die, but I don't want to take Robin along with me when I go..._

_"Anyway, I probably won't be around much longer, so I'd like to ask you for a favor if I could. I know I promised Robin that I'd be her watchdog, but if I'm not around anymore, __I hope you'll watch over her instead, and let her live a long and peaceful life; I think she deserves that at least, after all she's been through..."_

Amon then felt himself falling asleep, and jerked Robin's head upward as it started to fall.

_No, I can't sleep,_ Amon thought; _I can't leave Robin unprotected...!_

But it was too late for that; a moment later, Robin's head fell upon her forearms, and Amon soon felt himself falling into a pit of darkness. Even as Amon fell, though, he was aware of a strange warmth that rose up from somewhere below him, reaching upward to surround and comfort him.

_"Amon, it's time to rest now."_

_"Robin...is that you?"_

_"Yes, my love. You have protected me, but it is your turn to rest now, and let me watch over you."_

_"I was praying just now. I'm not sure if anyone heard me, though..."_

_"I heard,"_ Robin replied, finally appearing before Amon's eyes and lifting a hand that Amon could feel on his cheek; _"thank you. But you must rest now, if we are to fight together later..." _

_"But wait; do you know about the baby...?"_

_"Amon, I know everything you know. But don't worry about that now. Just rest now inside me."_

Then the darkness closed in again, but it was a different sort of darkness now, warm and comforting like falling asleep in the arms of a lover.

X O X O X

In the rectory, meanwhile, Father Padilla and Master Harry (who were less enthusiastic in their drinking than Nagira) soon realized that Amon hadn't returned from the church and hurried to check on him (followed close behind by Nagira with a magnum saké bottle Padilla had offered him as a gift). When they reached the doors of the church and looked inside, though, they saw Amon - or what they thought was Amon - kneeling peacefully in a position of prayer; that was surprising in and of itself, but even more surprising was a reddish glow they could clearly see surrounding Robin's body, as if a power dormant until then could no longer be contained inside her.

"_Is_ that Amon?" Nagira asked Harry.

"No, I don't think so," Harry replied. "Robin's aura is the stronger one now."

Hearing the voices, Robin tilted her head slightly - a motion exaggerated by her handlebars - then crossed herself, rose and turned to face the men.

"Master Harry, Nagira...and Father Padilla, I believe? _Ohaiyo gozaimasu_."

Robin bowed slightly and the men responded in kind, wishing Robin a good morning as well.

"_Are_ you Robin?" Nagira asked.

"Yes, Nagira," Robin replied. "Amon is asleep inside me now, but we have access to the same memories so I know most of what has happened. I'd like to thank you especially, Father Padilla, for giving us shelter."

"Well, it was the Christian thing to do."

"Indeed," Robin said with a smile.

"Robin," Harry said, "Amon seemed strong this morning, but his life force seems to have faded very quickly; is he all right?"

"I think so," Robin replied, "but even I can sense that he's becoming weak. I think it may be the third spirit within us which is draining his energy."

"So you know about the baby?" Nagira asked.

"Yes, I know about the baby," Robin said with a chagrined expression, looking down and placing her hands on her stomach. "It came as a surprise, but I love Amon, and I look forward to having his child...

"In the meantime, though, we have little time to waste if Amon's spirit is to be reunited with his body. I had hoped we might have at least a few weeks to work with, but I fear we may only have a few days to work with at most. With apologies to Master Harry, then, I believe the time has come for drastic measures."

"Ah," Nagira said, lifting his bottle as if it were a weapon (and almost toppling over), "a raid on Shinjozuna HQ."

"Actually, I was thinking of something a bit less violent," Robin replied. "There is the baby to think of, after all. Nagira, do you suppose you might be able to pose as a modeling agent - a sleazy sort of fellow with bad intentions - and then call the photographer Mr. Setaguchi at Shinjozuna to arrange a meeting for us?"

"Well," Nagira said, setting down his bottle and scratching his chin, "it would be a stretch playing someone sleazy, but I think I could do that."

"Won't that be dangerous, though?" Father Padilla asked. "Shinjozuna has to know you'll be coming."

"It could be dangerous," Robin admitted, "but if we can get inside the building, that will be half of the battle. Thanks to Master Harry, we know that Amon is being kept on the top floor of the building, so I'll just have to find a way to slip away from Mr. Setaguchi once we get invited in, then get to the top floor and reverse the spell of Lifekeeping to give Amon his body back."

"Oh, is that all? With three of the deadliest witches in the world doubtless guarding the body, and the best security money can buy?"

"Well, there is that," Robin admitted, "but I have faith in our cause. And with faith, anything is possible, isn't that true, Father?"

"Mark 9," Father Padilla replied. "_'Everything is possible for him who believes.' _"

"Then let us believe," Robin said.


	7. Interlude with Michael and Chief Kosaka

Dark Lady Amon

by amiwakawaiidesu

(Based on characters and situations from "Witch Hunter Robin", created by Hajime Yatate and Shuko Murase)

-------

CHAPTER SEVEN

Although Michael Lee was no longer a prisoner at Raven's Flat, he found ironically that he still spent almost as much time at Raven's Flat as he had before he'd released himself from imprisonment. Thanks to Sakaki - who had offered to share his tiny apartment with Michael - Michael now had a home outside the STN-J building, but often as not Michael just stayed at Raven's Flat all day and continued to use the old cot in his sleeping nook as a place to crash. Sakaki found this odd, for he had assumed that Michael (who had recently turned 17) would enjoy sharing his laid-back bachelor lifestyle, cruising for chicks, hanging out in karaoke bars and such. Michael, however, found it difficult to relate to anything he didn't experience through the Internet, and the Internet connection at Sakaki's apartment just wasn't fast enough for Michael.

"Michael," Chief Kosaka said, "why don't you go home already?"

"Maybe later," Michael said, typing away at his keyboard while j-rock pulsed in his headphones. "I just want to finish cleaning up the auxiliary agent database..."

Chief Kosaka shrugged, dropping his hat on his bald head and pulling on his overcoat. The auxiliary agent database _was_ important; relations between the STN-J and Solomon HQ in Europe remained strained, so Kosaka was now obliged to draw upon his auxiliaries (such as Shinto priests and priestesses with craft powers) to supplement his agents in Tokyo. Nonetheless, Kosaka worried about Michael working too hard, and living too much through his computer.

"Well, just don't overdo it," Kosaka said. "Things have been fairly quiet recently, but I'll need you fresh and alert if things heat up."

"Sure, Chief."

Kosaka then turned toward the exit, but paused a moment as his eyes fell upon the workstations previously assigned to Amon and Robin. Amon and Robin were officially listed as missing and presumed dead, but their bodies were never recovered from the Factory, and Karasuma continued to believe that the hunters were alive. For Kosaka - who was both meticulous and methodical - such loose ends grated upon him even more than the tinny music blasting from Michael's earphones.

Annoying as the music was, though, Kosaka was startled when it stopped abruptly a moment later. Turning around, Kosaka saw Michael now looking up at him from his workstation with his headphones around his neck.

"Chief...you have a moment?"

"What is it?"

"It's just something I noticed," Michael said, pointing to a security panel on his computer screen. "Apparently, someone just logged in from outside our system and accessed a restricted file area."

"Oh?"

"Yes, it looks like the old Shinjozuna file directory. They must have known what they were looking for because they were only in there for a moment and then logged off."

"Can you tell what they were looking for?"

"Well, I _could_, but you told me never to access that restricted area."

Kosaka gave Michael an impatient look and Michael quickly determined what portions of the directory had been accessed.

"It doesn't look like anything too sensitive," Michael replied, "just floor plans for the Shinjozuna Tower. But get a load of this username: _r0bn4124_!"

"That sounds familiar..."

"Well, yeah," Michael said, "it's Robin's username! She must be alive then!"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Kosaka said. "Is there any way anyone else could have stolen Robin's username and password?"

"No way. I've got state-of-the-art encryption on all our files."

"But then how would Robin have gained access to the Shinjozuna files? Aren't those locked with an administrator password?"

"Yes, but Robin and Amon both had administrator-level access from their days at Solomon HQ. I guess it was just an oversight of mine not to think of that, since I assumed they were dead."

"I see. Well, then, is there any other way someone other than Robin could have obtained Robin's username and password?"

"I guess someone could have _tortured_ Robin to get her password..." Michael conceded, "...but this is Robin we're talking about. How many people are bad enough to take on Robin?"

Kosaka reflected on that question for a long moment before responding. Indeed few witches were strong enough to take on Robin, but who could say what sort of witches might be working for Shinjozuna, shielded as it was by the government and the best security money could buy? If Kosaka's hands weren't tied, he would certainly look into this matter, but the office of the prime minister himself had told Kosaka that Shinjozuna was off-limits.

"We need to look into this," Michael went on, "don't we, Chief?"

"The orders I've been given are very clear," Kosaka replied. "No investigation into the activities of the Shinjozuna Corporation, or any activities related to the Shinjozuna Corporation may be initiated by anyone in this office..."

Michael began to protest, but Kosaka raised a hand and went on.

"Now I want to make this perfectly clear, Lee-san: it will be quite impossible for us to launch an official investigation of this matter. If such an investigation - _initiated by myself _- were to be uncovered by the government, I would have absolutely no ability to claim plausible deniability of the matter afterward. Do you understand, Michael?"

Although Michael was pretty bright, it took him a moment to catch on to Kosaka's meaning. If Michael pursued an investigation without Kosaka's approval, and the investigation was discovered by the government, then Kosaka could later claim he knew nothing about it.

"Yes, sir, I think I understand."

"Very well, then," Kosaka said, stepping back from the computer, picking up his briefcase and heading for the door. "_Jaa mata ne_, Lee-san."

"_Ja ne_, Chief."

Michael then waited until Chief Kosaka was well outside the office, and heard the elevator carrying Kosaka down to the garage, before continuing his investigation. The visitor - _r0bn4124 _- seemed especially interested in the lower floors and central core of the Shinjozuna Tower, so Michael then searched around for anything in those areas that might be of interest to Robin. Most of the lower floors were devoted to Shinjozuna's publishing projects, and much of the second floor was dedicated to offices for _Happy Look_ magazine, which would be holding a model search in a couple of days, but why would Robin possibly be interested in something like that? As far as Michael recollected, Robin had never worn so much as a hint of makeup - except perhaps that one time she was helping out at Harry's...

_I wonder...?_ Michael thought. _A log-in as obvious as this: could it be a deliberate signal from Robin?_

_Or could it be a trap? Shinjozuna might be luring us into some kind of embarrassing operation that would inflame the prime minister and get the STN-J shut down for good..._

With his music still turned off, Michael sat at his workstation for a long time pondering the possibilities. How ironic that Michael - who was once a virtual prisoner of the STN-J - might now have the power to destroy the STN-J with one false move...

"Ah, to hell with it," Michael said to himself finally, picking up a cell phone and calling Sakaki.

"Sakaki, this is Michael. Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"Well, I _was_ about to go to bed..."

"Oh, good, you're still awake then. Listen, I need you to come down to Raven's Flat right away."

"Raven's Flat? In the middle of the night? For what?"

"It's very important, Haruto. It concerns a little bird."

Sakaki pondered that for a moment.

"You mean _Komadori_?" Sakaki then asked in a whisper, using the Japanese word for robin.

"Yes. It concerns a _Komadori_."

"I'll be right there," Sakaki said.

"I'll be waiting," Michael replied. "_Ja ne_."


	8. Wings of love

Dark Lady Amon

by amiwakawaiidesu

(Based on characters and situations from "Witch Hunter Robin", created by Hajime Yatate and Shuko Murase)

-------

CHAPTER EIGHT

_Amon was dreaming. _

_Amon was walking down a corridor at once both familiar and unfamiliar; he had thought he was walking into Harry's, but the entryway was dark now, full of shadows and vaguely ominous. _

_Amon then heard footsteps approaching and looked up to see a slim girl approaching - or at least he assumed she was a girl; she was dressed all in black and her face remained in shadow, defined only by a pair of peculiar handlebars. She was certainly no ordinary girl, though; Amon could sense great power flowing from inside her, and he remembered what Zaizen had said about a new hunter arriving soon. Could this be her...? _

_Then the girl's face emerged from shadow and Amon was shocked. It wasn't a girl at all, but rather himself looking back at himself. _

_Amon reached instinctively for his orbo pistol, but his pistol wasn't there. He was defenseless, therefore, as his own dark eyes bore into him, making him feel naked and vulnerable. Then - as Amon's heart beat suddenly fast in his chest - the other Amon passed him by, and Amon turned to watch him go. _

_"Are you me?" Amon asked, but his other self then disappeared in the shadows, and Amon turned his attention to his missing orbo pistol. Only then did Amon realize he was not only naked, but naked in the body of a teenage girl. _

**Oh my God,**_ Amon thought, as he covered himself with his hands and dropped to a crouching position so no one would see his nakedness; **who am I...? **_

_X O X O X _

_For Amon, time became meaningless; unable to awaken and surrounded by darkness, Amon floated in a void punctuated only by occasional glimpses of red suggesting forms he could never quite discern. _

_**Am I mad?** he asked himself. **Or am I dead? **_

_To the extent he ever thought about it, Amon was agnostic where religion was concerned; perhaps there was a God and perhaps there was an afterlife, but Amon's Catholic childhood had left him ambivalent on matters of faith and religion. Nor did Amon sense a greater power hovering around him as if in judgment. More likely, Amon supposed, he was badly hurt and perhaps in a coma. But what was he doing before he fell in the coma...? _

_Much as Amon tried, he could not focus his mind to remember precisely what had happened. He remembered waking in Robin's body, but he also remembered walking into Harry's naked and meeting his other self, so could any memory be trusted? Occasional moments of lucidity interrupted the darkness - such as one time when Amon thought he saw Hana offering Robin a set of leather clubwear and platform sandals, or another time when he thought he saw Nagira slipping into a fancy Italian suit while reminding Robin that her new name was Alice Primavera - but Amon could only assume his tortured imagination was deceiving him somehow with those images._

_**Perhaps this is Hell,** Amon thought ruefully; **or at least Purgatory... **_

_At first Amon disregarded the thought as nothing more than childish fear, but as time went by he became aware that something or someone was watching him; then he observed that one of the reddish blurs was growing brighter and resolved itself into the familiar shape of a human embryo as Amon willed himself to draw closer. Given its state of development, Amon guessed it was no more than a few week old - and therefore it was impossible to guess if it was a boy or a girl - but it was well-formed, and Amon immediately remembered the conversation he had had (or which he thought he'd had) with Master Harry in the rose garden of Father Padilla's church. Harry had said that Robin was pregnant now, even though she was almost certainly a virgin. _

_Then Amon heard a voice sounding in his mind. _

_"Father, is that you?" _

_**"Who are you?" **Amon replied. _

_"I am your daughter," the voice replied. "Don't you know me?" _

_Amon was astounded, finally realizing the embryo was speaking to him. _

_**"How can you speak?"** Amon asked. **"You're just a little baby." **_

_"I am more than what you see. Between Mother and yourself is love immeasurable, and I am the product of that love." _

_Before Amon's eyes, the tiny child - no longer than his thumb - then transformed into a vaguely familiar young girl with red hair and green eyes, perhaps as old as Robin, and the darkness transformed as well into an alien landscape colored in shades of pink and purple. Most notable was a giant planet with rings like Saturn settling into a magenta sea surging off to one side of the path where the girl and Amon now stood._

_**"What is this place?"** Amon asked. **"Am I dreaming?" **_

_"All of life is a dream," the girl replied, and Amon now thought he knew why she looked familiar; she looked uncannily like a picture Amon had seen of his grandmother Anastasia, who was once a hunter with the STN-E. Amon's mother told Amon that Anastasia had died fighting witches and Amon once told Touko that he would like to name a daughter Anastasia if he ever had one; but this girl looked as much like Robin as Anastasia, so Amon couldn't be sure who she was exactly._

_**"Fair enough," **Amon said, after a long moment. **"But why have you brought me here?"**_

_"Robin is in danger. You must help her."_

_**"Robin...? **_

**_"I'd like to help her, but I don't even know where I am; what can I do to help her?"_ **

_"I can tell you," the girl replied with a smile, "but you have to come closer."_

_**"All right,"** Amon said, stepping closer to the girl; **"what is it?" **_

_"No, closer," the girl said, enticing Amon with a curling forefinger._

_Amon looked at the girl skeptically, but her similarity to Robin was uncanny and he knew he could trust Robin._

_**"All right, I'm closer," **Amon said, stepping closer to the girl and bending down to place his ear near her mouth. **"So what is it?"**_

_"Just this..." the girl said, leaning in close to Amon. Then, with Amon's own voice she said:_

**_"WAKE UP!"_**

X O X O X

Amon woke with a start, rising out of darkness into a blinding blue light. Disoriented as he was, he briefly wondered...

_Is this Heaven?_

...but only for a moment as mundane objects came into focus - light boxes and camera stands suggesting a photographic studio. He then felt air fill his lungs and thought he might finally be back in his own body, but realized he was wrong when his gaze shifted to his right and he saw Robin's reflection looking back at him from a full-length mirror.

Or _was_ it Robin? Sitting on a wooden stool, the girl in the mirror looked familiar, but her handlebars were gone, replaced with peculiar tufts of multicolored hair and braided ribbons. And since when did Robin wear makeup, or a leather halter top and miniskirt...?

Only then, as Amon's gaze moved independent of his control, did he realize he was no longer in control of this body. He could still see what Robin saw, though, as Robin's gaze rested briefly on a woman with straight black hair, then fell to her own feet (now shod in platform sandals).

_Was that Doujima? _Amon wondered. _No, she has blonde hair..._

But then the woman spoke and Amon realized it must be Doujima with a wig.

"Alice is a pretty one," Doujima said, lifting Robin's head to apply more makeup; "don't you think so, Mr. Setaguchi?"

"Yes," a man's voice replied from behind Robin, "I'm glad Mrs. Wong gave her my number."

"I hope my agent wasn't too forward," Robin said. "I wanted to join the open model search, but I'll have to leave the country before that..."

"Oh, the visa problem," Setaguchi said, cradling Robin's head (and sending a chill up Amon's spine); "well, don't worry about that. I'm sure our lawyers can straighten that out..."

Setaguchi, a handsome but shabby young man, then walked around to Robin's front and leered at her openly.

"Yes, you are an exotic _gaijin_," he said, resting a hand against her chin; "some of our clients would be very interested in a girl like you..."

"What will I have to do, Mr. Setaguchi?" Robin asked nervously, gripping the sides of the stool.

"Oh, don't worry about that; let's just start with some photos..."

Setaguchi then asked Doujima for a camera and stepped back to shoot a few quick pictures of Robin on the stool.

"Oh, you are hot," Setaguchi said, as he orbited around Robin with his shutter clicking furiously. "But let's just open this up a bit..."

Setaguchi paused to reach for the zipper in the middle of Robin's top, but he only managed to lower it about a centimeter before Robin's right fist suddenly flew out and punched him in the nose. Cartilage cracked and blood poured down his face, but he wasn't half as surprised as Robin.

"Robin - er, Alice...!" Doujima exclaimed. "What the hell are you doing?"

_Amon,_ Robin thought, _did **you** do that?_

**_You bet I did,_** Amon replied; **_how dare he touch you like that!_**

_That's very gallant of you,_ Robin thought, _but I can take care of myself; you should save your strength for the transfer._

**_The transfer? You mean you've found my body?_**

_Yes, don't you remember? Master Harry found your body here in Shinjozuna Tower; I was hoping to keep Setaguchi distracted with this photo-shoot while Nagira found us a way into the express elevators that go up to the penthouse level - but I guess we'll need another plan now..._

_**I'm sorry; I was dreaming and I wasn't sure what was real or not...**_

Only now did Amon realize his earlier dreams weren't delusions, but rather reflections of the memories he shared with Robin. Now, as he surrendered his ego to Robin, Robin's memories flooded over him and he realized he had been unconscious for more than three days while Robin, Nagira and Hana had devised a plan to infiltrate the Shinjozuna Tower. Miss Hana had disguised Robin with a new hairstyle and clothes while Nagira contacted _Happy Look_ magazine and represented himself as the agent of Alice Primavera (Robin) an Italian girl keen to be photographed by Ken Setaguchi before she was forced to leave the country due to a visa violation. Nagira, of course, had researched Setaguchi in the meantime and knew he was a sleazy character fond of exploiting models, but Robin had decided to go ahead with the plan anyway since Amon's spirit could not be preserved inside her body much longer.

**_I'm sorry,_** Amon added, **_I should have known you had a plan._**

_Don't worry; I'm just glad you're awake again._

Setaguchi, meanwhile, appeared livid with anger.

"That bitch hit me!" Setaguchi said, as Doujima gave him a towel for his nose. "Call security!"

"No, don't do that!" Doujima said quickly. "She was probably just nervous!"

"Yes, Mr. Setaguchi," Robin said. "Please give me another chance!"

"The hell I will!" Setaguchi said, reaching for his cell phone. "Security!"

Security was unable to respond, though, as Setaguchi's phone vanished in a sudden whoosh of flame. Again Setaguchi was surprised, but only for a moment.

"So," he said, turning on Robin, "you're a craft-user."

"Maybe it was just an accident," Doujima said feebly. "I can't tell you the number of times my cell phone has exploded in the middle of a call..."

**_Is Doujima with us?_** Amon asked.

_I don't know,_ Robin replied. _She was already here before Nagira and I entered the building._

Robin then remembered the recent search she had made of STN-J records, and Amon also shared the memory. In keeping with Amon's instructions to keep Raven's Flat in the dark, Robin hadn't come right out and told Michael about her plan to infiltrate the Shinjozuna Tower, but she did want to leave Michael a clue so he could figure out what happened later. She just didn't expect that Michael would figure out what her plan was before she actually did it.

"Yes," Setaguchi said, suddenly nodding his head in recognition, "I thought you two looked familiar. Robin Sena, and Doujima Yurika of the STN-J, am I right?"

"Honestly," Doujima said, "you've got it all wrong. I'm just a girl from the temp agency..."

"Save it," Setaguchi said to Doujima, lifting a very heavy camera stand with his own craft. "I've heard about the 'Eve of Witches', and I'll look forward to fighting her...after I beat _your_ brains out."

Robin then thought to vaporize the camera stand as well, but a heavy storage box flew off a shelf and blind-sided her, knocking her off the stool and onto the floor. Setaguchi then grinned an evil grin at Doujima and lifted the camera stand over his own head, intending to drive it into Doujima like a tent stake. Before he could quite manage that, though, a strong gust of wind caught him by surprise and forced him backward; still holding the camera stand over his head, Setaguchi then tripped over an electrical cable and tumbled backward, hitting the ground just a moment before the camera stand fell out of the air and cracked him in the middle of his forehead.

"Oh my God!" Doujima exclaimed, as she scrambled to check the body. "He's dead!"

"He is?" Robin asked.

"I didn't know you had wind powers too," Doujima said with awe. "When did you get those?"

"Actually, that was Amon," Robin said.

"Amon is here too?" Doujima asked, looking around.

"Yes, he's right here," Robin said, putting her hand on her chest (and also zipping up her zipper at the same time). "Didn't you know?"

"No. All I know is Michael asked me to keep an eye on this place in case you stopped by...

"Robin, we were all so worried about you! We thought you and Amon were dead...!"

"Amon might be dead soon if we can't reunite him with his body. That's why Nagira and I came here, to reunite Amon's body with his spirit before it leaves this world altogether."

Doujima looked at Robin with a look of puzzled surprise, wondering perhaps if this was Michael's way of getting back at her for all those times she'd teased him in the past.

Before Doujima could ask for clarification, though, Nagira (in a very nice suit) came barreling through the main doors of the studio.

"All right, Robin, we've got to go! Security knows something is up here...

"Oh, Doujima, you're here? You'd better come too!"

Nagira then grabbed both women by their arms and hustled them toward a side door just seconds ahead of an armed security detail, and a general alarm that sounded throughout the building when the detail found Setaguchi's dead body.

X O X O X

Having studied the plans of the Shinjozuna Tower along with Robin, Nagira knew that the express elevators were only a short distance from the offices of _Happy Look_ magazine; further, Nagira (posing as Robin's agent) had scouted the route to the express elevators while Robin was in her photo shoot and confirmed that they weren't usually guarded. When Nagira arrived at the second floor doors of the express elevators, however, all the express elevators were dead.

"They must have cut the power," Nagira said, as the alarm continued to sound throughout the building. "We'll have to go up the stairs..."

"No, wait," Robin said; "Shinjozuna will have teams of witches out hunting for us soon. It's too dangerous to use the stairs."

"But we can't give up now; Amon's body is just a few floors above us."

"There is another way, but you and Doujima will have to stay behind; there are stairs at the end of this floor that lead down to the parking garage, and you can escape through there. Nagira, you know as much as anyone about what's been going on, so please let Chief Kosaka know in case our mission here isn't successful."

"Would you care to let _us_ know what your other way is at least?" Nagira asked.

"No; you and Doujima might be captured and interrogated on your way out of the building. It's better if you don't know."

Nagira started to protest, but then a door near the elevator opened and Robin only just had time to force another security detail back with her fire craft.

"Go now," Robin said. "We'll be all right."

Nagira nodded, encouraging Doujima to withdraw with him.

"Does anyone want to tell _me_ what's going on?" Doujima asked.

"Later," Nagira said, steering Doujima toward the stairwell and sparing just a moment to wish Robin (and Amon) good luck. Robin returned the wish, then ran around another corner and pried open an unlabeled maintenance door leading via a maze of conduits to the bottom of the tower's main ventilation shaft.

**_No ladders,_** Amon noted, as Robin surveyed the interior of the shaft; **_how will we get up the shaft?_**

_We can with your craft,_ Robin replied.

**_Oh yes, that._**

_You sound reluctant._

**_It's a long way up there. If we fell, both of us would die._**

_Don't worry, I'll lend you my power. And the baby will lend us her power too; I can feel it._

_**I dreamt about the baby,** _Amon replied. **_I dreamt she was older and she looked just like you, and my grandmother..._**

**_Are you upset about the baby? You're still a minor, and a virgin; are you concerned what people will say?_**

_No. I'm very honored to have your baby inside me._

Just then a sound of clanging came through the conduits, suggesting pursuit was not far behind them.

**_All right then. Will you let me control your body?_**

_Do you need it to fly?_ Robin asked, as she surrendered control to Amon.

**_Well, I do need it to do this..._**

Amon lifted Robin's arm to kiss her hand.

**_If I can fly, _**Amon said, **_it's on wings of love, Robin._**

Amon then stretched out Robin's arms and summoned his craft, pulling air from all the surrounding conduits to bear Robin upward as if on invisible wings.


	9. Seeing through the fog

Dark Lady Amon

by amiwakawaiidesu

(Based on characters and situations from "Witch Hunter Robin", created by Hajime Yatate and Shuko Murase)

-------

CHAPTER NINE

Borne aloft by Amon's air craft, Robin ascended through the main ventilation shaft of the Shinjozuna Tower, then landed in the opening of an air-conditioning conduit on the uppermost floor of the building; recalling Master Harry's earlier warning that the top floor would be well-guarded, they hoped to arrive quietly but Robin stumbled in her platform heels and made a clanging sound that echoed throughout the ventilation system.

"_Pattini stramaledetti_," Robin muttered in Italian, bending down to unstrap the sandals. "How do girls walk in these things...?"

_**I'm glad I never had a chance to find out,**_ Amon offered, as he listened closely with Robin's ears for sounds of pursuit; sure enough, boots could now be heard climbing the stairs adjacent to the main shaft.

_**We don't have long,**_ Amon thought, spotting a conduit on the opposite side of the shaft as Robin contemplated where to leave her shoes; _**why don't you throw your shoes over there, and that might throw them off our trail.**_

_Won't that make a racket? _Robin thought back.

_**Trust me.**_

Robin was dubious, but she trusted Amon enough to fling her shoes three meters across the shaft to the opposite conduit; ordinarily they would have struck the floor of the steel conduit with a rattling bang, but Amon caught them with his craft and lowered them gently to the floor without a sound.

**_All right, let's go,_** Amon thought, turning toward the maintenance door behind them and then returning control of their body to Robin. When Robin reached for the door handle she found it locked, so she was about to incinerate the door handle with her craft when the door suddenly opened on its own, revealing a familiar figure on the other side.

"Mrs. Wong?" Robin said.

"Robin-san," the old lady replied with a smile. "I thought it might be you causing all the commotion downstairs."

"What are you doing here?" Robin asked, looking over the head of the short Chinese lady to see if anyone else was behind her.

"Didn't I mention I do business with some of the people here?" Mrs. Wong. "Oh, don't worry; Security hasn't reached this level here."

"You mentioned you knew someone at _Happy Look_, but you didn't say you had access to the corporate penthouse level."

"Well, maybe I don't," Wong said vaguely, "but I am very intuitive; I had a feeling you might be heading to this level, so I came here to help you out...

"It's the body you want, isn't it?"

"Which body is that?" Robin asked, feeling her heart thump suddenly hard in her chest.

"It's a very handsome body, stored in the central chamber of this level. I'm not sure if he's your type, though; he has an ominous look about him..."

"Can you take me to him?"

"Certainly," Wong said, inviting Robin to join her in the corridor next to the conduit. Then she quickly added: "You do realize the Shinjozuna Three are nearby, though, don't you?"

"Yes, but that can't be helped. Time is of the essence."

Wong nodded, continuing on her way. Following close behind, Robin (and Amon) soon noticed that the corridors on this floor were curiously nondescript compared to other floors of the building, with plain white walls and only a handful of plain white doors; they did pass a receptionist area adjacent to a set of elevator doors, but there was no office equipment there or any sign that the area had ever been used.

"Do you know where we're going?" Robin asked, after following Wong around several corners.

"Indeed," Wong said, as she finally came to a stop at the end of a broad corridor. At first it appeared to be a dead-end, but Wong then passed her hands over the white wall and revealed a magical maze inscribed directly into the wall. Robin and Amon both surmised it was some kind of lock, and Wong confirmed their guess as she traced a pattern on the maze and then pressed its center, revealing a pair of double doors which fell open soundlessly before her.

What lay beyond the doorway wasn't entirely clear; a wispy kind of fog - not unlike the fog that had surrounded Robin in Amon's dreams - was all that could be glimpsed through the portal. Nonetheless, Wong was adamant that this was the way to go.

"Wait a moment," Amon said to Mrs. Wong, borrowing Robin's voice. "What are _you _getting out of this?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Shinjozuna obviously trusts you to let you this far inside their headquarters; what interest do you have in hurting them?"

"It's not so complex; I've made certain investments that will pay off handsomely if Shinjozuna suffers. I am a businesswoman, after all."

Neither Robin nor Amon felt sanguine about that explanation, but now was no time to argue. Rather, Robin stepped through the doorway after Mrs. Wong, finding herself in a chamber of vast but indefinite size, poorly lit and all-but filled with the strange fog. Something about the fog was very disconcerting to Robin, and not just because the droplets felt cold and clammy on her skin (more exposed than usual in her halter top and miniskirt); it felt as if the fog was actively sapping her craft...

_**It could be a trap**,_ Amon thought (although, curiously, his own craft felt fine). **_We should be cautious._**

_Why start now?_ Robin thought back, continuing to probe the fog. Then, suddenly, the fog broke just enough to reveal a dais surrounded by a magic circle, upon which lay the body of Amon.

_Amon!_

**_I see it. But be cautious..._**

Then Robin saw three familiar figures just beyond the dais; shrouded in black robes just as before, one short flanked by two tall, they could only be the Shinjozuna Three.

**_"Amon,"_** they thought telepathically as one, **_"so good of you to come."_**

"I'm not Amon," Robin replied.

**_"But you carry his spirit within you. Now you will surrender it to us."_**

"No, I will take his body, and you will not stop me. I am stronger than you know."

**_"Let us see your power."_**

Amon remained wary, continuing to expect a trap, but Robin was keen to avoid a fight - and knew she was infinitely stronger now than ever, with her own power and Amon's power combined and amplified through the child in their womb. If anything, Robin would have to be careful not to unleash her full power, lest she obliterate the building altogether.

So Robin summoned her craft...but nothing happened. The fire would not come.

But the Three retained their own power; suddenly, a wall of force struck Robin and sent her tumbling backward.

**_"Do not make us hurt you,"_ **the Three said, levitating to hover over Amon's body; **_"we need Amon, but you need not die for his sake."_**

Robin drew backward and hid herself in the fog, meanwhile looking for some kind of cover. With the fog everywhere, Robin couldn't see any kind of cover, nor could she see any trace of Mrs. Wong, who had seemingly vanished before Amon's body had been found; perhaps, Robin, thought, it wasn't too surprising that Mrs. Wong would want to duck out of the way after setting up this ambush. But then, seeming to appear out of nowhere, Mrs. Wong was suddenly there in front of Robin.

"Having trouble?" Mrs. Wong asked.

"You knew this would happen," Robin asserted.

"Something in this fog is suppressing your craft; it's clever...but you can still defeat them."

"How?"

"Remember, you and Amon not only share your power, but can combine your power."

Robin thought about that for a moment, then a plan came to both herself and Amon.

And not a moment too soon, for the hovering Three found Robin and Mrs. Wong a moment later. Mrs. Wong disappeared again (displaying, perhaps, a craft ability), but Robin remained in place and summoned her craft again, this time in concert with Amon.

Fortunately, the fog did not suppress Amon's air craft, for he was able to make the foggy air swirl around Robin; the swirl then grew suddenly into a whirlwind capturing and pushing back the airborne particles of the fog, and Robin's own craft - suddenly free from constriction - then ignited the air of the whirlwind, creating a swirling firestorm of ferocious intensity. Even the Three seemed to perceive the danger, halting their advance, but they were powerless to stop the combined craft-power when Amon released the whirlwind and sent it hurling directly at them.

Although the blast was directional - catching the Three with devastating effect - it exploded outward with such force that it not only evaporated most of the particles suspended in the fog, but also blew out the windows surrounding two sides of the chamber (invisible until then), making it unlikely the fog could form again. It was also fortunate for Amon's body, which appeared singed but otherwise intact as a brisk wind entered the chamber, flapping the lapels of his long coat.

Even Robin was stunned for a moment by the turn of events, but only for a moment. With the power surging within her now, she knew it would be quite simple to pick up Amon's body, jump out an open window frame and float to the ground with Amon's power, avoiding the necessity of a battle with other guards and witches still hunting them inside the tower. She could then join back up with Master Harry, Nagira and Father Padilla, and find a safe place to return Amon's spirit to his body.

But then Robin remembered Mrs. Wong, who couldn't possibly have avoided the blast.

"Mrs. Wong!" Robin said, spinning around to search for the old woman. "Are you all right?"

In fact, Mrs. Wong was quite well, further suggesting a strong defensive craft power.

"Yes, I'm fine," Mrs. Wong said, brushing off her coat, "but don't worry about me. Destroy the Three!"

Robin turned to look for the Three, and saw them still prone where the blast had thrown them. With the hoods of their cloaks down, they appeared to be ordinary human beings, two tall men and one short woman, representing no immediate threat to anyone.

"Is that necessary?" Robin asked Mrs. Wong.

"They'll hunt you down if you don't. Quickly, while there's still time..."

"Wait a moment," Amon said, speaking again with Robin's voice. "What is_ really_ in this for you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, your hand is behind virtually everything that happened. You arranged for Robin to learn a specific spell I would need to survive being separated from my body, saw that I had time to master my own craft, then brought us back before the Three. It seems like more than coincidence."

"And what did they mean when they said they _need _Amon?" Robin asked. "They wanted his craft to awaken, but why?"

"There's no time for that," Mrs. Wong said impatiently. "We can't give them time to recover..."

By then, though, the Three were indeed recovering consciousness. Robin braced defensively, but she knew she was at less of a disadvantage now without the fog around. She refrained from attacking, therefore, and studied the Three as they returned to their feet, leaving their hoods down. There was something definitely odd about their appearance: all of them were bald and looked vaguely asian, with shining eyes of crystal blue, and neither Robin nor Amon could guess where they might be from, even when the short female spoke in Japanese with her own voice a moment later.

"Perhaps we can explain," she said. "Mrs. Wong is our agent here among your kind, and she has much to gain from our downfall."

"_Our _kind?" Robin asked. "Aren't we all craft-users?"

"Yes, but we came here long ago, from a place far away. Mrs. Wong could tell you."

Mrs. Wong was clearly apprehensive now, looking back and forth between the Three and the doorway. Openly revealing her craft at last, she then seemed to disappear - becoming all but invisible in the near darkness - but a wall of flame brought her up short before she could run away, and she became visible when Amon reached out with Robin's right hand to grab her arm.

"Let me go!"

"No," Robin said. "Not until we learn what this is all about."

Mrs. Wong struggled, but even Robin's slender hand was enough to hold her.

"Mrs. Wong knows that we plan to leave here soon," the strange witch said, "and we had planned to reward her handsomely for her loyalty, leaving her a great share of Shinjozuna assets. But perhaps she was not content with those assets alone, for she knows the Shinjozuna Tower must be destroyed if we are to leave this world, and that would reduce the value of her holdings considerably."

"This world...? Where are you from?"

The witch did not respond immediately, but rather looked at her male companions as they spoke to her telepathically; evidently, the males were reluctant to let their companion answer Robin, but the female raised her hand a moment later as if to cut them off.

"We came here long ago," the witch explained, "from another world far away in outer space. We are craft-users like you, but our people learned how to combine their craft with technology, and used that power to build starships with which to explore the galaxy. My two brothers, my sister and I were the occupants of such a starship, which came to your Earth thousands of years ago when we sensed that your kind too was awakening in the craft. We landed in China and found a promising civilization, but your people were still divided as you still are today - with witches set against humans, although you are bound by a common destiny. Although we came to your world in peace, we were greeted as enemies and my sister was killed as a witch; without her power to complete our circle, we were then trapped here on your Earth...biding our time until we could find another craft-user who could replace my sister's power."

"What was your sister's craft?" Robin asked.

"She was a wind-walker, the same as Amon."

Suddenly, Robin felt the hairs on her neck stand on end.

"So that's why you needed me?" Amon asked. "To help you return home?"

The witch nodded.

"Why didn't you just tell us?" Robin asked.

"With utmost respect, your world is still in a primitive state. Someday, you will be ready to join the greater community of worlds beyond the stars, but the time is not yet right. Indeed, my brothers would still have me hide the truth from you, but we know that you are the Craft Arcanum of this world; it was not our intention to let your power be joined with that of Amon, but your combined power is more than strong enough now to destroy us if you wish."

Mrs. Wong shifted uncomfortably, and just then a party of Shinjozuna security guards appeared at the doorway. Before they could enter the room, however, the strange witch pulled the doors shut with her craft.

"Will you help us? It is up to you now."

"Do you have a name?" Robin asked.

"You probably couldn't pronounce it," the strange witch said with a smile. "But in China I was called Xiu."

"Xiu. Let me discuss this with Amon."

Xiu nodded, and Robin turned her thoughts inward to speak with Amon. With the heightened intuition of the Craft Arcanum, Robin perceived that Xiu was being truthful, and Amon confirmed that his own intuition agreed with hers. Still, there was so much at risk, and their unborn child to think of. Was it worth the risk to trust the Three?

_**There is much to be gained from this opportunity,**_ Amon thought to Robin; _**first contact with craft-users from another world who have overcome their differences - to say nothing of contact with a larger world beyond our own.**_

_But if you go with them,_ Robin replied,_ you might never come back. They say they need you to help them return home, and who knows how far away that might be. You might never see our child - or return long after I'm dead..._

_Let me come with you then, if they need you._

_**No, Robin, you're needed here. But I will come back; I promise you that.**_

Robin nodded, and lifted her eyes to Xiu.

"We have decided, Amon will help you, but we have two conditions."

"What are those?" Xiu asked.

"I will return Amon's spirit to his body myself first, and Mrs. Wong will stay with me, to turn over to the STN-J."

Mrs. Wong was obviously unhappy about that, but knew better than to try resisting the combined power of Robin, Amon, their child and the Three.

"It is agreed," Xiu said. "Let us begin."


	10. Ci incontreremo ancora

Dark Lady Amon

by amiwakawaiidesu

(Based on characters and situations from "Witch Hunter Robin", created by Hajime Yatate and Shuko Murase)

-------

CHAPTER TEN

"I'm sorry, Sena-san; you must have lost your baby."

"What? How is that possible?"

"It isn't unusual to have a miscarriage so early in a pregnancy, but I'm not certain if you were ever actually pregnant. Is it possible you just imagined it?"

Even now, the doctor's words stung Robin as she remembered them. The lady doctor hadn't meant to sound unkind, but Robin knew what she meant. Robin was still a virgin, and the doctor couldn't possibly understand how her spirit had been intertwined with Amon's while they shared one body. While they still shared that body, Robin had been positive that she felt a third being within herself - and Master Harry had sensed it too - but now she felt nothing within herself. Amon was gone, the baby was gone, and Robin sat alone on the bed in Nagira's upstairs room with Amon's over-large coat pulled around herself, wondering if she had imagined everything...if she had lost her mind.

How recently things had been different. A week earlier, while Amon's spirit was still inside her, Robin had entered the Shinjozuna Tower disguised as a model, and made her way to the penthouse level where Amon's body was held by the Shinjozuna Three, only to learn that the Shinjozuna Three were actually travellers from another world, who only desired Amon's wind craft in order to return home. Further, they had learned that Mrs. Wong - their seeming benefactor - had arranged for Robin to take Amon's spirit within herself merely for her personal gain, hoping they would destroy the Shinjozuna Three with their combined power and leave Mrs. Wong in control of the Shinjozuna commercial empire. Happily, though, Robin, Amon and the Three were able to come to an amicable resolution. After Amon agreed to help the Three return to their own world, Robin used the spell taught to her by Mrs. Wong to reunite Amon's spirit with his own body.

Shinjozuna Tower, meanwhile, had been surrounded by Tokyo police and fire personnel responding to reports of an explosion on the penthouse level, actually caused by the combined power of Amon and Robin during their initial encounter with the Three. That complicated matters because the Three planned a controlled implosion of the Tower to cover their departure from the planet, and they preferred to avoid killing anyone in the implosion if possible. They were able to order their own employees out of the building, but remained concerned about police and fire personnel who might be killed within the collapsing Tower. Thus, they arranged for their own security personnel to relay a report to the police about a van full of explosives left unattended in the Tower's parking garage, and the police accordingly formed a perimeter around the building at a safe distance while calling for their own bomb squad.

As for Amon, he recovered from separation with his body sooner than Robin would have expected - but of course the Three had used their own powers to keep his body in a state of virtual stasis. Now awakened, Amon looked at Robin with his own eyes for the first time in a week, and felt her embrace him warmly.

"Amon, I missed you!"

"I was always with you," Amon said, returning her embrace. "But I missed you too."

With Robin's help, Amon then pushed himself into a sitting position. He was woozy for a moment, then seemed embarrassed as he noticed Robin's near-nakedness in her halter top and miniskirt.

"You must be cold," Amon said, as a bracing breeze swept in through the shattered penthouse windows. He then stood up and swept off his long black coat, which he draped about her shoulders.

"It's a little long on me," Robin said, noting how the coat seemed to engulf her. She liked the warmth of the coat, though, as it retained the heat of Amon's living body.

The Shinjozuna Three, meanwhile, had been working magic of their own. While one of the males held Mrs. Wong, the other male and the female Xiu summoned a vast magic circle which occupied the entire chamber in which they were standing. Xiu explained that this circle was the propulsion system of their spacecraft, which would form a pocket in hyperspace after four witches with the requisite elemental powers stood within the circle and combined their craft. Originally, Xiu's sister had supplied the wind power in the circle, but now it was Amon who would complete the circle.

"You should go," Amon said to Robin; "the bomb squad will be here soon."

"Wait," Robin said, holding Amon and looking at Xiu. "How long will Amon be gone? Will he be able to come back?"

"It shouldn't be long," Xiu said. "We only need Amon's power to take us to the edge of your solar system, then we shall return him to you. It should be no more than a month, as measured on Earth."

"There, you see?" Amon said. "It won't be so long."

"But Amon, there's so much I want to say...what about the baby? I'm still only sixteen...will you marry me? Would you _want_ to marry me...?"

"Of course I'll marry you," Amon said, pausing to bend down and kiss Robin gently on the lips. "Wait for me."

"Of course I'll wait for you."

Xiu then came up to Robin and reported that a bomb squad truck was approaching the building. With lives at stake, Robin then reluctantly stepped back from Amon, took hold of the prisoner Mrs. Wong, and withdrew to the double doors leading into the chamber. She paused a moment, though, to look back at Amon.

"_Ci incontreremo ancora_," Amon said, "_amore mio_."

_"We will meet again, my love."_

Robin nodded, lingering a long moment to look back at Amon. Then, with the bottom of Amon's coat dragging at her heels, Robin guided Mrs. Wong to the penthouse elevator station and rode a cab down to the garage and out the back of the now-deserted building. Robin was concerned then that she might be spotted by a police unit and become separated from Mrs. Wong, but she was pleasantly surprised to find virtually the entire STN-J office staff - and Nagira - waiting with a pair of cars not far from the garage. Nagira and Doujima had met Robin inside the Tower and guessed that she might need help despite her insistence on confronting the Shinjozuna witches alone, so now Chief Kosaka, Karasuma, Sakaki and Michael (the latter with a videocamera firmly trained on the Tower) had all converged on the area and remained dangerously close to the building despite the police warning to back off.

"Robin!" Doujima exclaimed. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," Robin said, "but we need to get out of here quickly. The building is about to collapse."

"So there is a bomb!" Kosaka exclaimed.

"I'll explain later," Robin said. "But someone should cuff Mrs. Wong; she's a dangerous witch and we should take her into custody."

"Right," Doujima said, slapping a pair of restraints on the old lady. Robin then joined Mrs. Wong in the backseat of a sedan driven by Doujima and shared with Nagira, while Chief Kosaka, Michael and Sakaki bundled into the other car driven by Karasuma.

"What about Amon?" Nagira asked.

"He's fine," Robin replied.

"Well, where is he?"

"Up there," Robin said, pointing toward the tower. "But I'm sure we'll see him again."

Doujima and Karasuma then made haste to get away from the building, although Karasuma did linger a while at an intersection so Michael could continue filming the tower. A curious shroud of fog now surrounded the building, hiding its upper stories even from news cameramen covering the event, but Michael's infrared camera captured a fine image of the tower as it suddenly exploded; Michael failed to capture an image of the building falling into its own footprint, however, as Karasuma suddenly floored the accelerator to get cover behind a nearby building.

As it happened, no one was hurt in the implosion, nor was anyone known to be dead except for the photographer Setaguchi whom Amon killed in the_ Happy Look _studios while still in Robin's body. As for Amon, his whereabouts were officially unknown even before Father Juliano had asked him to investigate the Shinjozuna Corporation, but Michael's camera did capture a tantalizing image that seemed to verify what Robin reported about the extraterrestrial nature of the Shinjozuna Three. As Mrs. Wong was whisked off to a psychiatric care facility now retained as an alternative to the Factory, the STN-J staff gathered around Michael's work station at Raven's Flat to watch his computer-enhanced video of the implosion. There, for a split second, Michael had captured an image of a luminous ring rising from the top of the tower even as the rest of the building fell.

"My God," Michael said, "do you know what this means?"

"Amon is alive?" Karasuma ventured.

"Well, that, and I've just taken the world's first high-quality video of a UFO!"

"Well, I don't know about that," said Sakaki, "there are lots of videos of UFO's."

"But this is the real thing; we have Robin's own testimony. This could be sensational!"

"Let's not make it a sensation just yet," Chief Kosaka said, resting a hand on Michael's shoulder. "For the time being, let's keep it under wraps."

"Oh, man!"

"But make sure you keep the file backed up in a safe place. It could be important later."

"Right, Chief."

Robin, meanwhile, had taken Doujima aside.

"Doujima, can you help me with something?"

"Sure, Robin, what is it?"

"I was wondering if you could recommend a doctor..."

"Don't you have a doctor?"

"Yes, but I think I need a special kind of doctor."

Doujima looked at Robin for a long moment, then her face brightened with surprise.

"Oh my God, Robin, are you...?"

Robin averted her eyes, and nodded.

"Just leave it to me, dear," Doujima said, lowering her voice and hoping her earlier outburst had gone unnoticed. "Meet me after work, and I'll give you the name of a lady who's very discreet about these things."

And so it transpired that Doujima gave Robin the name of the specialist, and even volunteered to go with Robin to an appointment the next day. Somehow, Robin kept Doujima from telling everyone at Raven's Flat that she was pregnant, but she was less successful at persuading Doujima that nothing physical had transpired between Amon and herself. Doujima herself was sympathetic with Robin, noting that Robin was of legal age to marry in Japan and intimating that Amon would be in _a lot of trouble _if he didn't do the honorable thing and marry Robin when he returned from gallivanting in outer space.

To her credit, Doujima was supportive after the examination, and stayed with Robin at Nagira's office afterward. Indeed, Doujima was still there now, asleep on a futon below the platform holding Robin's bed; Nagira was naturally curious why Doujima was there and what was the matter with Robin, but Doujima only said it was none of his business and politely but firmly insisted he not bother Robin with any questions.

As for Robin, she was glad she hadn't shared the news with anyone else at the STN-J. Losing Amon was bad enough - she could trust that he had survived the implosion and was indeed safe with the Three - but the miscarriage was so_ final_. Robin had seen the little girl in visions from the future, and even knew her name; but now, Anastasia was dead.

_Could I have imagined it?_ Robin wondered. _It seemed so real, but now I feel so empty… _

_**Have **I lost my mind…?_


	11. Once in a dream

Dark Lady Amon

by amiwakawaiidesu

(Based on characters and situations from "Witch Hunter Robin", created by Hajime Yatate and Shuko Murase)

-------

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Tokyo was greatly agitated long after the destruction of Shinjozuna Tower, with people fearing that it might signal the start of a new wave of terrorist attacks. Robin was only distantly aware of the commotion, though, overheard on the television Nagira sometimes watched downstairs; though Robin changed from her halter top and miniskirt into the monastic dress she was more comfortable with, she couldn't bear to leave her room after she learned of her miscarriage.

Doujima, who stayed with Robin, covered for her at the STN-J, in a conversation on the phone Robin also overheard.

"I don't know when Robin can come back to the office, Chief, but I think I should stay with her for now. No, I can't tell you what the problem is exactly...honestly, Chief, you should just be happy I checked in; I'm the irresponsible one, remember?"

Doujima didn't tell Nagira exactly what was wrong with Robin either, but he didn't press the matter and left it to Doujima to try persuading Robin to eat a little and generally look after herself. But Robin did not look well; ghostly pale, she would only nibble at food to placate Doujima, and she let her long hair fall loose about her shoulders rather than pinning it up. But worst of all for Robin, she couldn't explain exactly what she felt to Doujima. Robin expected Amon to come back soon, but what would she say to him about the baby? And what would become of their relationship? Would Amon still want to marry her now that their baby was dead? While they had shared her body, Robin felt so close to Amon that they were almost one being, sharing every thought and feeling, but now he seemed so far away, she could barely sense his spirit at all. Before, Amon had never wanted to get too close to anyone; would he be that way again, now that he had regained his own body?

Since Robin didn't know what Doujima would think of her sleeping nude, she left some clothes on at night but that only made it that much harder to fall asleep. While Doujima dozed rather soundly on the futon below Robin's bed, Robin kept waking throughout the night. True sleep finally overtook Robin the next afternoon, though, and she awoke remembering a fragment of a dream both troubling and familiar. She wandered through a fog looking for Amon – and she sensed that someone was definitely there looking for her as well – but she could not tell who it was. Could it be Amon? Or was it the spirit of their child Anastasia, come to haunt her in her dreams?

The thought frightened Robin at first, and she was reluctant to go back to sleep – with the effect that she looked even more haggard than usual by the time night fell that second night.

"Maybe I should see if the doctor can prescribe some sleeping pills," Doujima suggested.

"No, I'm fine," Robin said, "I just had a bad dream earlier. I'm feeling better now, though. Why don't you go ahead and go back home?"

"That's all right. I'll stay here for now."

"All right, then; I'll try to get some sleep."

Despite her fear, Robin needed to know who was looking for her earlier, so she closed her eyes and tried to think of pleasant thoughts. Such thoughts were few in a cold, lonely life, but she settled on one – a pleasant cup of coffee at Harry's – and that was enough to help her drift away this time.

"Who is there?" Robin asked, as the dream fog closed in around her.

"It's me," a woman replied.

"Xiu?"

"Yes," said the owner of the voice, becoming visible through the fog. With her bald head and shining blue eyes she could only be the leader of the Shinjozuna Three.

"Shouldn't you be in space? I thought Amon was helping you leave the solar system."

"I am in space," Xiu said; "I am speaking to you telepathically with the help of my brothers. We had hoped to be well on our way home, but a problem has come up."

"Is Amon all right?"

"We should discuss that. Can you join me at Amon's apartment?"

Robin began to say that she didn't know where Amon's apartment was, but then she recalled her shared memories with Amon.

"Yes."

"Then join me there, please, as soon as you can."

"Can I bring a friend?"

"It would be better if you came alone."

"Is this a trap?"

"No, it would just be better if you came alone."

Robin awoke suddenly, finding herself back in her bed in Nagira's building. A clock by her bed gave the time as 10:40 PM, and nearby Doujima was snoring.

Robin sat upright, wondering what she should do. She then rose quietly, dressed herself, and looked down from the platform holding her bed to the floor where Doujima's futon lay. Not too far away from Doujima were some towels near the bathtub, and Robin briefly considered setting them ablaze to make a distraction that would grab Doujima's attention while she slipped away. Doujima seemed to be in a deep sleep, though – and Robin didn't really want to start a fire in Nagira's building – so instead Robin simply climbed down the ladder to the main floor, then slipped out of the room without Doujima seeming to notice.

Robin then made her way down the stairs past the office where Nagira too was sleeping, then to a back door opening onto an alleyway. A month earlier, Robin had eluded Michael's sensor network by taking back alleys when she went to visit Mrs. Wong's knickknack shop, and she followed a similar route now to approach Amon's apartment building.

The last time Robin had been to Amon's apartment (with Amon in control of her body), Amon had flown the last few blocks, hopping from rooftop to rooftop with his wind craft to avoid being spotted. Without Amon's wind craft, though, Robin was obliged to walk on the ground and proceeded carefully as she drew closer to the building. The region was fairly well-lit, but Robin reassured herself that she still had her own craft – summoning a small fireball – before she set off down the side streets; although Japan was generally a safe country, one never knew whom one might meet in the seedier parts of the city at night.

Most of the way, Robin met no one other people. But suddenly, as she approached a blind intersection just a few blocks from her destination, she heard the heavy footfalls of several people running toward her around the corner. Fortunately, a convex mirror was mounted near the intersection to give drivers a look around the dangerous corner, and Robin caught a glimpse of the people approaching before they saw her.

In the split second before the first figure rounded the corner, Robin recognized him as a desperate looking man, followed close behind by Karasuma and Sakaki with guns drawn! Not pausing to think, Robin threw herself into the cover of a nearby warehouse door just before the first person – doubtless a witch – came hurtling around the corner; not seeming to notice Robin, the witch skidded to a stop and then paused at the corner to hurl a craft attack back at his pursuers.

Robin couldn't tell what the craft was from her vantage point, but she did hear the sound of windows shattering around the corner a moment later. Now that the STN-J had given up the use of orbo, Karasuma and Sakaki would have no special protection against witch powers, other than the tranquilizer pistols now carried as their standard sidearm.

Robin frowned; she couldn't just watch without helping her colleagues, but neither did she want her colleagues to know she was there. So a moment later, Robin caused a flashy fireball to explode out of thin air behind the witch, forcing him back around the corner the way he'd come. Obviously still alive, Karasuma and Sakaki then dropped him with a pair of tranquilizer rounds.

"Why'd he turn back?" Robin heard Sakaki ask.

"I don't know," Karasuma replied, "but do you smell something burning?"

"Now that you mention it, the back of this guy's coat does look singed..."

"Do you think he could have run into Robin...?"

From her vantage point, Robin saw Sakaki look around in response to Karasuma's question, but neither he nor Karasuma seemed to see her hiding spot in the convex mirror. Rather, the hunters concentrated on securing their target with wrist and ankle restraints; doubtless, a transport would soon arrive to carry the witch to the special psychiatric facility now retained as an alternative to the Factory. Robin, meanwhile, quietly slipped away the way she had come, then finally reached Amon's apartment building by way of another street.

With the memories of Amon that she retained, Robin looked up and recognized that the lights were on in Amon's apartment; since Amon had last left the apartment locked with the lights off, Robin inferred that someone might indeed be waiting for her there. Briefly, Robin considered sneaking into the apartment the back way as Amon last had done, but that sort of stealthy entry was more Amon's forte than hers, so instead she entered the building through the front door and then ascended the stairs to Amon's floor. Robin's fast-beating heart – still racing from the close encounter with her colleagues – continued to pound hard as she ascended the stairs; although she had Amon's memory to guide her, this place was both familiar and unfamiliar, and she couldn't help feel she was somehow where she didn't belong.

As Robin finally approached Amon's front door, she felt something else too; Amon was here – she was sure of it. But so was Anastasia, their dead child. How could that be?

When Robin reached for the door handle, the door was unlocked and the lights inside remained on. Amon's taste in furnishings was Spartan, but there was a comfortable chair in the front room and Xiu was sitting there waiting for Robin.

"Good evening," Xiu said. "I'm glad you could come so quickly."

"Shouldn't you be in space?" Robin asked.

"Our ship remains in space," Xiu replied, "continuing its journey toward our home with my brothers on board. We haven't traveled so far, though, that I was unable to return here with Amon to meet you."

"I feel him nearby," Robin said, "but he seems weak."

"Indeed he is; he is not well. I will show you."

Xiu then stood, and glided gracefully down the hallway to Amon's bedroom. Curiously, although Amon had recently offered to marry Robin, this too felt like a place she did not belong.

Presently, Robin beheld Amon's unconscious form, but it was more his spirit she perceived than his mere body. Something was clearly draining his life force, but even more amazing was the clear presence of Anastasia's spirit co-mingled with Amon's own.

"As close as you are," Xiu said, "you can doubtless see he is not well. I was not aware of his condition, though, until after we had left your world and were bound for outer space. With Amon's help, the mystic circle was completed enabling my ship to gain the minimum energy necessary to escape your solar system. It was my hope that Amon could stay with us longer and help us build up our energy reserves; if he could, I would have invited him to remain aboard until we reached the edge of your solar system, then returned him to you in one month's time as I had promised...

"However, Amon began to weaken shortly after we left your world, and it was clear he was not well. As my brothers and I probed Amon's spirit to look for a cause, we discovered that a second spirit within Amon was draining his life force – the spirit of the very child you and Amon conceived together."

"But I don't understand," Robin said, "the doctor said the baby was dead..."

Xiu herself seemed confused for a moment, then nodded.

"I see," Xiu said. "You were aware of the child's existence – indeed the threefold power of yourself, Amon and the child was largely what defeated the power of myself and my brothers – but perhaps you were unaware of the nature of the child. The child is not a flesh-and-blood child, but rather a creature of pure spirit, conjured by the union of your spirit with Amon. The tragedy is that your child could only be sustained by the joined power of your spirits when you shared a common body; after your spirits were separated, the spirit of the child attached itself to Amon and is now draining his life energy to sustain her own. Soon, both Amon and the child will die."

"No..."

"I'm sorry; I did not realize such an outcome would result from your union with Amon."

Robin staggered forward a step, then fell to her knees beside Amon. As great as her power was, Robin had long made a habit of keeping her emotions in check lest she destroy herself and all those around her. Now, though, she wept.

_Amon, I was so worried what you would think about the baby..._

_Now I've lost you and the baby..._

"Is there nothing we can do?" Robin asked. "Could we not join our spirits together again?"

"I have thought of that," Xiu replied, "but Amon's spirit is very weak now, and he is still recovering from his last sundering from you. I think he would not survive being joined to you again."

"So he is dead, and so is Anastasia."

"Anastasia?"

"That was the child's name," Robin said, wiping tears away with her sleeve, "or it would have been. It was Amon's grandmother's name."

"I see."

Xiu was then silent a long moment before speaking again.

"There is another possibility," Xiu said. "Neither you nor Amon alone can carry...Anastasia...to term, but my brothers and I are joined as one much as you were joined with Amon. With the spell of Lifekeeping, I could take the child into myself and sustain her life force until she is able to take on physical form - until she is ready to be born."

"But your ship – isn't it still heading away from Earth?"

"Yes, toward our home world far across the galaxy. When our ship attains sufficient velocity, it will form a wormhole allowing us to make the ten-year journey to our homeworld, but the ship will not be able to leave the wormhole before it arrives at its destination. If you entrust your daughter to me, you will not see her again until at least 20 years have passed on this world."

Robin's heart sank, overwhelmed by the enormity of what was suggested.

"Then I'll come with you..." she started to say.

"Robin, you are the Craft Arcanum of this world, predestined to bring together humanity and all craft-users in peace. Would you abandon that, perhaps plunging this world into chaos and anarchy? Your beloved cannot speak for himself now, but what would he say if he could?"

Robin looked back at Amon, and felt for his hand. It was cold, reflecting the energy even now being lost from his body, but just now what struck Robin was how big his hand seemed compared to hers. It must have been very strange for him to get used to her body, so small and slight compared to his own. What if their places had been reversed, and she had occupied his body instead? Perhaps then it would be easier to know how Amon would feel.

"May I ask you a question, Xiu?"

"Certainly."

"What is your home world like?"

"I could show you."

"Please do."

Xiu approached Robin where she remained kneeling, and touched her fingers to Robin's forehead. Robin then perceived a memory from Xiu – thousands of years old, apparently, but vivid all the same; Robin saw Xiu's dead sister on a beach overlooking a magenta sea, while pink clouds drifted across a purple sky. Then far away something moved, something so huge and vast that Robin did not recognize it at first from her earthly experience; rings like those of the planet Saturn were rising slowly beyond the horizon, revealing that this strange world itself was the moon of another great world.

And Robin smiled.

"We've seen this place," Robin said.

"You have?"

"Yes. Anastasia showed it to us once in a dream."

Surprised, Xiu stepped back from Robin and the vision faded.

"Will you take care of our daughter?" Robin asked.

"Yes, she will be loved."

"Then I think Amon would want her to go with you. Can you cast the spell of Lifekeeping?"

"I could, but I'm not accustomed to casting such a spell without my brothers beside me. Would you help me?"

"Yes. Let us cast the spell together."


	12. How could I deny you?

Dark Lady Amon

by amiwakawaiidesu

(Based on characters and situations from "Witch Hunter Robin", created by Hajime Yatate and Shuko Murase)

-------

CHAPTER TWELVE

Amon was dreaming.

_Amon was alone now in a dark place, falling slowly downward. But not quite alone; there, inside him was a tiny something no larger than a pea, but shining with a great light. It was straining to escape from him, but pulling him upward even as it did so._

_**"Father," **__the light said, __**"you must let me go."**_

_"Anastasia?" Amon said. "How...?"_

_**"There is no time for questions. Please let me go."**_

_"But I'm afraid. I'll fall." _

_**"Have faith. I won't let you fall."**_

_Amon was still afraid, but he did as the voice bade him; relaxing himself, he gave in to the pull of death below him, and Anastasia exploded upward out of his body. Fully-formed now, she looked not unlike an angel filled with light, almost too wonderful to look at._

"_Beautiful…" Amon gasped, as death came up to take him. But Anastasia reached down to take his hand and stop his fall._

"_Is it not my time?"_

"_**Not yet,"**__ Anastasia said, hauling him upward. Now a light was surrounding them, and quickly grew so bright that Amon had to close his eyes against the glare. Still, he didn't want to miss Heaven, supposing that to be their destination. With no small effort, he opened his eyes._

And found himself looking upward at Robin – so close he could feel her breath warm on his cheek when she exhaled. Amon felt sweaty and tired, as if he had just been through a grueling ordeal, but Robin's green eyes suggested both concern and relief.

"What happened?" Amon asked; "I was with the Three…"

"You had a little detour," Robin said, and a quick glance to the left and right told Amon he was back in his bedroom in Tokyo – not aboard the spaceship of the Shinjozuna Three. Further, Robin was lying very close to him on his bed, with one hand on his forehead and the other on his chest. Amon himself could barely move, though; as if the dream were real, he felt an aching pain in his gut, as if something had just forcefully emerged from inside him.

"I had a dream…"

"About Anastasia?"

"You knew?"

"She was inside you," Robin said. "Did you know?"

"No…but my stomach does hurt…"

"I'm sorry. But we had to help you let go of Anastasia, or you both would have died."

"We?"

"Xiu and I. Xiu has the child inside her now."

"Where is Xiu?"

"Aboard the spaceship with her brothers."

"I was supposed to help them…" Amon said, starting to push himself upward, but the pain immediately overwhelmed him.

"Easy, my love. You gave them the energy they needed, to reach their home."

"But Anastasia…will we ever see her again?"

Robin lay her head on Amon's chest, and Amon managed to lift an arm to hold her, feeling the serge fabric of her monastic dress.

"It doesn't matter," Robin said. "At least you're both alive."

X O X O X

Amon remained stiff with pain for a long while, and thus was not disposed to argue with Robin as she suggested he rest and get his strength back. Eventually, though, after sleeping until the early morning, he was strong enough to sit up and talk with Robin while she sat at the desk chair beside his bed.

"Did I miss much after the collapse of the tower?" Amon asked.

"Not really, " Robin said. "Michael was excited to have footage of a real-live UFO, but the chief insisted he keep a lid on it. A bigger problem might be…well, Doujima knows about the baby."

"She does?"

"I asked her to help me find a doctor, but I didn't tell her who the father was. I didn't know you were actually carrying the baby until I met Xiu here in your apartment, so I was very depressed when I thought I might have miscarried. Doujima stayed with me after that, and I actually had to sneak away from her last night to come here."

"She probably has all the hunters out looking for you, then."

"I called her while you were sleeping, so she wouldn't worry. I didn't tell her where I was, though; I didn't think you'd want the whole STN-J showing up at your apartment."

"That's true; I'm not one to have a lot of company over."

"I hope you'll make an exception for me."

"I think I owe you that much at least."

When Amon moved to rise and head toward the restroom, Robin hurried to help him, but Amon insisted he was fine. With several days of funky smell on his clothes, he was keen to take a shower and preferred to do that by himself.

Nonetheless, it was still strange to be back in his own body after he was just beginning to become accustomed to Robin's. His body had never felt ungainly or awkward before – far from it; yet it did seem so as he stood below the shower head and let the water pour over him. That Anastasia should have chosen to cling to him rather than Robin…it beggared belief.

Thinking of Anastasia, Amon then remembered the last time he had seen Robin before leaving with the Three; Robin had thought she was pregnant, and naturally Amon promised to marry her, even though they had never been physically intimate.

But what was physical intimacy, when Amon's very soul had occupied Robin's body? As she had once said, they were as close as two human beings could be. When he had seen with her eyes, breathed with her lungs, even suffered with her cycle, how could they ever really be separate again?

And that frightened Amon, for he was not accustomed to true intimacy. Even with Touko he kept a part of himself hidden away; he never shared with her his fear of his own craft, or his fear he might become a witch. But with Robin there could be no secrets; as close as their souls had been, Amon couldn't even be sure anymore where he ended and she began.

Instinctively, childlishly perhaps, some part of him recoiled from that fact. More than once, Amon had lost himself in his work, rather than let himself get too close to a person. But Amon's word was his bond; there was no going back on this promise.

When Amon emerged from the restroom, Robin wasn't there; rather, Amon heard her in the kitchen and supposed she had left the bedroom to give him some privacy. Then Amon smelled the rich aroma of espresso coffee, and supposed Robin had found his espresso machine. Indeed, after Amon dressed and moved to the kitchen, he found Robin looking very much at home there.

"I took the liberty of making some coffee," Robin said, offering Amon a small cup. "I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all."

"I was looking about the pantry; there's not much there, but I could make you a light breakfast, Venetian style. You like your eggs poached, right?"

"Why, yes," Amon said. "But don't put yourself to any trouble…"

"It's no trouble. Just sit down and relax."

Amon had to admit, as he took a seat at the kitchen counter, that food did sound agreeable. How long had his body –this body – lain in suspended animation? Then the spaceship, and the spirit birth…it was probably weeks since he had had a proper meal.

"Need any help finding anything…?"

"No, I'm fine," Robin said, moving about the kitchen much as if she'd always lived there. Producing an apron from a side drawer, she began moving briskly but efficiently, starting water for the eggs while also preparing toast and prosciutto. Meanwhile, Amon watched her move while sipping his coffee, and quite lost track of time as breakfast was soon ready.

"You'd make someone a good wife," Amon noted, as Robin came around the corner to serve him. "_Grazie mille_."

"_Prego_," Robin replied. "Is that an offer?"

"As a matter of fact, I was thinking about the promise I made you earlier…"

"I was thinking about that too," Robin said, gathering her own coffee and a piece of toast as she moved to sit beside him. "And something else you promised me once – that you would be my watchdog…

"Xiu told me that I have a special destiny as the Craft Arcanum, and perhaps she's right. I want to go to Rome, to Solomon Headquarters, and work to bring the branches of humanity together again. I believe humans, craft-users and witches can be brought together in a common bond, but there could be violence before that happens – a great deal of violence. I need a watchdog, very much, if I am to pursue that destiny. A husband would be nice, but what I _need_ is that watchdog to watch over me. I need you to guard me, because I fear my own power…

"How are the eggs, by the way?"

"Just right," Amon said. "I don't know if I can be your watchdog, though. I may be a witch myself, now that my craft has awakened. And I love you."

Robin reflected on that a long moment before responding, looking toward a window with a view of the sky.

"I think about our daughter," Robin said. "Xiu says that she may return to us someday, perhaps decades in the future. When she does, I wonder if our world will still be torn by this struggle among humans and craft-users. Or will our world be at peace, like the world of Xiu and her brothers?"

Robin turned back to Amon and added:

" I should want her to find a peaceful world, and I think she will if you will help me."

Amon smiled slightly, setting down his fork for so weighty a moment.

"How could I deny you," Amon asked, "_amore mio_?"

"_Grazie_," Robin said, "_il mio amore__._"


End file.
